If Caitlin Clark comes back to the floor for the Fever this season, it will only be after very specific goals have been met, coach Stephanie White told reporters ahead of the team's game against the Storm Tuesday. Per the IndyStar's Chloe Peterson, first and foremost White needs to see Clark performing in practice — doing do so consistently.
"I want to see her in practice, live in practice," White said. "I want to see her continue to work to not just build endurance, but to be able to handle contact 94 feet as it's going to be in-game, and to be able to do that and sustain it from an endurance standpoint, and that's going to take multiple practices to make sure that there's no regression."
White also pointed out that getting tired during a game can make a player "look different," so she'll also need to see how Clark plays as she begins to feel run down.
The update isn't a great one for anyone still holding out hope Clark will play again this season. Clark has only played 13 of the team's 38 games so far, and the season ends on September 11 — at this point, the likelihood comes down to mathematics and whether or not there's even enough time in the season for White's requirements to be met.
Lisa Leslie doesn't think Clark should come back
There's also a growing chorus of voices calling for Clark to sit out the remainder of the 2025 season for her own health and long-term strength — a concern that isn't unfounded. During the August 26 segment of CBS Sports' We Need to Talk, Leslie (who suffered her own groin injury during her career) laid out her case.
"She could provide an amazing boost. But again, I'm just gonna put my coach's hat on, my GM hat on. You want to see Caitlin Clark for the longevity of her career. I'm just thinking, me personally, I would not put Caitlin Clark back on the floor this season," she explained.
That more or less sums up what nearly everyone is thinking: as much as it would be incredible and fun to see Clark back on the court for the Fever this year, it doesn't make sense if she could still end up injured again.
There's also another factor that might keep Clark off the floor: the Fever has proven to be resilient, and the team has continued to make adjustments as she and other teammates have gone down with injuries. With free agency looming in 2026, it's entirely possible this year's Fever won't be next year's, and perhaps it makes sense to allow Clark to return next season with a team she can help lead to the biggest prize in the league.