Stephanie White addresses fresh Caitlin Clark injury concern
The Fever star guard left Tuesday’s win over Connecticut in the final minute.
BOSTON – With injuries plaguing her second WNBA season, Caitlin Clark has had a frustrating few months. And she may have to go through rehab again, just a week after her latest return.
Clark left Tuesday’s 85-77 Fever win vs. the Sun after feeling discomfort with about 30 seconds left in the game, grabbing at her right groin area after a bounce-pass assist to Kelsey Mitchell.
“No update,” Fever coach Stephanie White said postgame. “Just felt a little something in her groin, so we’ll get it evaluated and see what happens.”
Caitlin Clark appeared to be in pain after this play late in the fourth quarter.
Clark returned to play last week after missing 5 games with a groin injury. pic.twitter.com/y78M3mDeCf
— espnW (@espnW) July 16, 2025
It’s unclear if it was a contact injury — bringing the ball up the floor, she first twisted to push off Sun guard Leila Lacan, then twisted again to bounce the ball to Mitchell. After that play is when she turned around and grabbed at her right groin area.
Her eyes nearly immediately welled up in tears, and teammate Aliyah Boston walked over in concern. Clark then went to the stanchion, still holding her groin, and hit her head against it before walking over near the bench and doubling over.
She stood near the bench, a towel over her head, as the Fever went through the timeout. She had comfort from multiple teammates during that time, including Lexie Hull and Damiris Dantas.
White confirmed postgame it was the right groin Fever training staff were evaluating. A right groin injury would mark the fourth separate muscle injury Clark has had this season, dating back to the Fever’s first preseason game.
Clark missed the Fever’s preseason opener on May 3 against Washington with what she described as “just a little bit of tightness” in her quad, but played the next day in Iowa City at her alma mater. She then suffered a quad strain, which was separate from the preseason injury, against the New York Liberty on May 24, keeping her out for over two weeks (five games).
She returned June 14 against New York, then played the Fever’s next five games before suffering another injury. The Fever didn’t specify when she suffered the left groin injury, saying she reported pain after Indiana’s West Coast road trip then got an MRI.
Clark then missed four more regular-season games, as well as the Commissioner’s Cup championship, and came back July 9.
Now, less than a week after her latest return, she’s facing another potential stint on the sidelines.
This has been a frustrating few months for the Fever star, who has never been injured before this season. She played all 139 games of her college career, then 46 straight games (including playoffs) to start her WNBA career.
It’s something that’s new to her, and it’s something that comes with hours of extra work in order to rehab, get healthy and reintegrate back on the court.
“It’s been challenging mentally, just, you know, staying in it,” Clark said July 8 before her return from her left groin injury. “You’re way more busy when you’re hurt than (when you’re playing). You’re coming in and all you do is, you know, scout, film and come out here and walk through things. I’ve been here for hours and hours on hours trying to get my body right and do everything I can to put myself in a position to be available the rest of the year.”
Indiana’s training staff has done just about everything possible to help Clark get back into playing shape after each of her injuries, including needling, hyperbaric chamber, red light therapy, massages and other forms of rehab.
Still, there’s little explanation to how the Fever star can’t seem to stay healthy, especially after five years of playing high-level without an injury. Clark did put on muscle between the 2024 and 2025 seasons in hopes of being able to better sustain the physicality of the league, and she said at the beginning of training camp she felt a lot stronger heading into the season.
This most recent injury likely isn’t a re-aggravation, considering she grabbed at her right groin instead of her left. But considering her immediate reaction, she will likely have to go through the frustrations of rehab, then reintegration into the Fever once again.
And the Fever, finding their rhythm with a three-game win streak, could have to play without their star point guard once again.
Earlier Tuesday, the WNBA confirmed Clark’s participation in Friday’s 3-point shooting contest ahead of the All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Participation in both may now be in jeopardy.
The Fever play Wednesday night in Brooklyn vs. the New York Liberty.
“I think we just take it one step at a time,” White said. “We’ll get some food, get on the plane, and start talking about New York. She’s being evaluated, we’ll see where we are with that, and certainly we’ll have another evaluation, probably in conversation in the morning, and see where we are. But, you know, this group has played without her, we’ve at least got experience in that. We know that we have a tough opponent in New York, and we know it’s going to be a challenge no matter what.”
Chloe Peterson is the Indiana Fever beat reporter for IndyStar. Reach her at capeterson@gannett.com or follow her on X at @chloepeterson67. Get IndyStar’s Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter.