As much as Fever fans are hoping to see Caitlin Clark join the second season of Unrivaled ahead of 2026, she has offered no indication that joining the professional 3x3 league is on her horizon — but she does hope to find ways to get back into the 5x5 game during the offseason.
That was a topic mentioned by both Clark and by coach Stephanie White during the Indiana Fever's exit interviews with reporters in Indianapolis on Thursday, October 2. Clark noted that she thinks fans sometimes "struggle to understand at times [that] there is a huge difference [between] me standing there and shooting spot shots and running up and down" versus what it takes to successfully play a traditional basketball game.
"Your muscles need to be able to react and withstand that kind of stuff," she said of everything that goes into a regular game — and "that's where five on five becomes really critical." The element of physical contact is also important, she added, because "you don't know where you're taking contact from."
Clark was willing to put a calendar date on it: she said her goal is to "be out there" and "trying to play five on five" by the end of October, and "I think that's a very reasonable thing for me, and I've been grinding as hard as I possibly can."
Clark added that she "loves the work" that goes into preparing to come back, and that "it's been difficult not being able to see the time you put in, being able to put on your jersey and see it pay off ... [but] it's been a really good opportunity for me to learn a lot about myself and certain lessons that will probably be really important throughout my career as well."
She didn't specify what a return to 5x5 basketball this month could look like , but added that there's "some USA Basketball stuff that is probably my top priority right now" and that's what she is preparing for.
Caitlin Clark never thought she'd miss the whole season
Elsewhere in the interview, Clark admitted she didn't think she would miss as much of the 2025 season as she did. Clark initially missed a preseason game due to tightness in her left leg, and then missed five games due to a left quadriceps injury announced in May. Throughout the season she suffered a left groin injury followed by an injury to her right groin, but ultimately, it was an ankle injury that finally put an end to any hope she'd return to the court in 2025.
Clark explained the ankle injury prevented her from exploring her well her groin was healed. She said she was participating in her second full-court workout following the right groin injury when "my ankle completely rolled all the way forward," which resulted in "probably one of the worst sprains I've deal with."
Contrary to popular belief at the time, the right groin injury wasn't necessarily a season-ender. "There was no decision of like, 'This is the end of my season,'" Clark continued. "I had full intention of returning, and I think in a way, that was probably positive for me, because that's how I approached every single day."