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Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark will miss her sixth consecutive game with a right groin injury Friday when her team takes on No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings. Clark, who was injured late in the Fever’s win over the Connecticut Sun on July 15, does not have an official return timeline.
The Fever released an update on July 24 saying that Clark “underwent further medical evaluations earlier this week, which confirmed that no additional injuries or damage were discovered.” The team added that Clark will “continue working with the medical team on her recovery and rehabilitation, with the priority on her long-term health and well-being.”
Following Friday’s contest, the Fever will continue their four-game road trip to begin August with matchups against the Seattle Storm, Los Angeles Sparks and Phoenix Mercury. It’s unclear if Clark will be cleared while they’re away from home.
After a historic Rookie of the Year season, Clark’s sophomore campaign has been derailed by injuries. She’s been limited to 13 appearances due to a left quad strain that kept her out for three weeks, a left groin injury that sidelined her for two weeks and now a right groin injury. Along the way, she’s missed out on the Commissioner’s Cup championship and All-Star weekend in her adopted home city of Indianapolis.
Caitlin Clark explains how injuries have affected her: ‘First time I haven’t felt like a young body’
Spending so much time on the training table is a new experience for Clark, who prior to this season had not missed a game due to injury since she was in high school.
“This is the first time I haven’t felt like a young body that can run around and sprint every day and just continue to do that,” Clark told Glamour over All-Star weekend. “Being a professional athlete, you really have to take care of both your body and your mind — it’s been a journey learning about that.”
When Clark has been able to get on the floor, she’s struggled to find the form that made her an All-WNBA First Team honoree last season. Aside from a triple-double in the Fever’s season opener and a 32-point, eight-rebound, nine-assist effort in her return from her first injury, most of the discussion about Clark’s on-court performance has centered around her lengthy shooting slump.
Clark is 7 of 49 from 3-point range in her last seven appearances, and has failed to make a 3-pointer in three separate games. For the season, she’s shooting 36.7% from the field, including 27.9% from behind the arc. Notably, she is 2 of 35 from downtown on the road.
Despite her poor shooting, Clark is still putting up 16.5 points, five rebounds and 8.8 assists per game — good for second in the league — and the Fever have been significantly better with her on the floor. The 15-12 Fever are 8-5 when Clark plays and 7-7 when she does not, and their offensive rating drops from 108.6 with Clark to 102.2 without her.
Entering Friday, the Fever sit in sixth place with a two-game advantage on the ninth-place Washington Mystics. As the stretch run begins, the Fever will hope to thread the needle of giving Clark enough time to recover and be as close to 100% as possible for a potential postseason run, while also making sure they get there in the first place.
