The Indiana Fever have onlyfour games remaining in the regular season, but coach Stephanie White believes star guard Caitlin Clark could return to the court before long. Though Clark has not taken part in contact practices yet, White said it’s still “the hope” the Clark plays in the regular season.
White made those comments prior to Tuesday’s game against the Phoenix Mercury. Clark has already been ruled out for the contest due to a groin injury.
After Tuesday’s contest, the Fever have three games left in the regular season. They’ll take on the Chicago Sky on Friday, Sept. 5, the Washington Mystics on Sunday, Sept. 7 and the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday, Sept. 9. Based on White’s comments, Clark could be a week away from a return despite not taking contact during practices.
Advertisement
It’s been a frustrating season for Clark, who played in just 13 games due to multiple injuries. Clark initially battled a quad injury during training camp that caused her to miss preseason games. She returned for the start of the regular season, but played in just four games before a quad injury knocked her out of action.
Clark returned a few weeks later and played in five more games before again missing time with a quad injury. She returned 15 days later and sustained a groin injury after just a couple games. Clark has not played since July 15 due to the injury.
Getting Clark back before the end of the regular season could play a massive role in the Fever’s playoff hopes. With just four games left, the Fever are fighting for a playoff spot. The team enters play Tuesday sitting at 21-19, good for seventh in place in the standings. The Fever much finish in the top-8 to make the playoffs and could be eliminated depending on how the Golden State Valkyries, Seattle Storm and Los Angeles Sparks perform down the stretch. Those four teams are separated by just two games.
Advertisement
If the Fever feel good about their chances, the team could hold Clark out until the playoffs. If she can return to her rookie form following the injuries, Clark could provide the Fever with a significant boost in a playoff series, maybe even helping them upset tough opponents.
Given all her injuries, and the start/stop cadence of her season, there are some who want to Fever to keep Clark out the rest of the year. Even with Clark, the Fever may not have what it takes to win it all, and resting Clark now prevents any further injury that could impact her offseason.
Ultimately, that decision will come down to how well Clark is able to recover during the next few days and whether the team wants to risk their star coming back this late in the year.
Given Clark’s tenacity, it’s tough to imagine she’ll be fine remaining on the bench if she feels healthy enough to play.
