The Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark is out for at least two weeks with a quadriceps injury, news that has rattled fans and will impact how the team plays during that time (as well as how other teams approach the Fever). After releasing the initial news, Coach Stephanie White later indicated that Clark was apparently playing on an injury for quite some time this season — but she wasn't exactly honest with her team about how hurt she was. If she had been, the Fever likely would have sat her for more games during the preseason, a decision it's clear they should have made.
Clark missed the Fever's preseason opener on May 3 due to "just a little tightness" in her left leg — the same leg that is injured now. At the time, White stressed the team was being cautious by sitting Clark out, and she played excellently in their May 4 game against the Brazilian National Team. "The biggest thing is we gotta think long term," told reporters in early May. "We gotta make sure that we’re not putting Caitlin at risk for injury. We’re not putting our team in a position where we’re thinking short term and not long term."
Coach White acknowledged that the team didn't know the extent of the injury
Later on Monday, Coach White admitted the Fever didn't know how hurt Clark was. "You know, there’s so many things when you think about Caitlin and her not wanting to miss games. Obviously, she’s a competitor and wants to play. Obviously, everyone wants to watch her play," she explained.
Now that the injury has come to light, White wants to make sure Clark truly heals — for the short and long term. "But for me, it’s maintaining perspective. It’s making sure that we address this in a way that doesn’t affect [the] long-term. That we take care of it, don’t over-push, don’t over-exert. Making sure that we take the long-game approach to this so that we’re not having lingering issues throughout the course of the season," she explained.
"And I’m glad that, you know, sometimes great players don’t tell you that they’re hurting. I’m glad that she did, because we need to nip this in the bud," White added.
Clark's injury needs to usher in changes for the Fever (and other WNBA teams)
If Clark's injury changes anything about how the Fever operates in the long-term, it needs to be the process by which players report injuries. Of course, there's only so much a team can do if an athlete isn't disclosing the full extent of how they feel or what's wrong, but hopefully this moment in time will serve as a lesson for the team, Clark, and other athletes about being honest when it comes to their bodies.
Clark is young and highly motivated; she hates missing games, and also doesn't have a lot of experience doing so (she made it through her collegiate career without ever missing a single match, a feat she repeated for her rookie season). This is an opportunity for a reset for the young star in more ways than one, and it appear she's taking it seriously.
How Caitlin Clark's injury will impact the Fever
Clark will miss games against the Mystics, Sun, and the Sky, but will hopefully return to the court in time for the team's June 10 game against the Atlanta Dream. The Fever will play the Mystics Wednesday night at 7:30pm EST — the first test of a Caitlin Clark-less Fever in the regular season.
While the Fever will be tasked with running plays without the heart of their team, this is something that every single WNBA franchise prepares for. The Fever is made up of a stacked roster of athletes, and Clark's absence may give a few (like Syd Colson) the opportunity to properly introduced themselves to the fans.
Clark's absence is a big one for the team, but it's part of the game — and it's crucial that she does everything she can to make sure her body is as strong and healthy as possible before she returns to the court again.