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Why Caitlin Clark should rest<\/p>\n
Caitlin Clark\u2019s season status sparks debate as USAT’s Meghan Hall explains to Sam Cardona-Norberg why rest might be her best move.<\/p>\n
Sports Seriously<\/p>\n
Will Indiana Fever<\/a> guard Caitlin Clark<\/a> return before the end of the regular season?<\/p>\n The Fever (21-18) have five regular-season games remaining, including Sunday’s road matchup against the Golden State Valkyries<\/a>, which Clark will miss due to a right groin injury that has now kept her sidelined for 18 consecutive games. Clark, who last played in the Fever’s win over the Connecticut Sun on July 15<\/a>, has missed 26 of the Fever’s 39 games this season due to various injuries, marking the most missed games in her career.<\/a><\/p>\n Indiana has been cautious with Clark’s return to ensure she’s ready to go for a long playoff run, but the Fever’s playoff hopes hit a snag after the team dropped six of eight games. The Fever responded with back-to-back wins over the Seattle Storm<\/a> and Los Angeles Sparks<\/a>, teams that are fighting for the four final playoff berths.<\/p>\n “From the start of our season, we talked about how a season isn’t going to be perfect. If something happens, next woman up,” Aliyah Boston said on Friday following the Fever’s narrow 76-75 win<\/a> over the Sparks<\/a>. “I feel like that’s been the story of our season.”<\/p>\n The Fever are currently in sixth place in the standings. Here’s what you need to know about Clark’s health.<\/p>\n Is Caitlin Clark playing vs. Valkyries on Sunday?<\/p>\n Clark (right groin) was ruled out of the Fever’s road matchup against the Valkyries on Sunday. There’s no timetable for her return to the lineup.<\/p>\n Caitlin Clark injury timelineMay 24:\u00a0Clark suffered a left quad injury during the\u00a0Fever’s 90-88 loss to the New York Liberty<\/a>, where she recorded a double-double with 18 points and 10 assists. Clark couldn’t pinpoint the specific play that caused her injury, but noted that it happened early in the contest. Clark said, “Adrenaline covers up a lot of stuff when you’re in the heat of battle. After the game, I had some pain, and then we got an MRI, and that kind of gave me the result that I didn’t want to see.” She missed the Fever’s next five games.June 14:\u00a0Clark returned to Indiana’s lineup in the\u00a0Fever’s 102-88 win over the Liberty<\/a>\u00a0and dropped 32 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in her first game back.\u00a0June 24:\u00a0Clark suffered a left groin injury in\u00a0the Fever’s 94-86 win<\/a>\u00a0over the\u00a0Seattle Storm<\/a>, which resulted in Clark missing the team’s next four games. Fever coach\u00a0Stephanie White said<\/a>\u00a0she learned of Clark’s groin injury the following night after Clark alerted team trainers of discomfort.July 1:\u00a0Clark was ruled out of\u00a0the Fever’s 2025 Commissioner’s Cup win<\/a>\u00a0over the\u00a0Minnesota Lynx<\/a>\u00a0in Minneapolis. That didn’t stop\u00a0Clark from rightfully celebrating the team’s hardware<\/a>.July 9:\u00a0Clark returned to the Fever’s lineup in the\u00a0Fever’s 80-61 loss to the Golden State Valkyries.<\/a>\u00a0Clark was limited to 10 points, shooting 4 of 12 from the field and 2 of 5 from the 3-point line, and had six assists, five rebounds and four turnovers. Following the blowout loss, Clark said it was “going to take me a second to get my wind back. … Just trying to get my legs under me.”July 15:\u00a0Clark suffered a right groin injury in the final minute of the Fever’s 85-77 victory over the Sun at TD Garden in Boston. White later confirmed Clark “felt a little something in her groin.”\u00a0This marked the last game for which Clark suited up.July 18:\u00a0Clark announced<\/a>\u00a0that she would sit out the\u00a02025 WNBA All-Star Game<\/a>\u00a0in Indianapolis, where she was named a team captain. Clark was also set to participate in the 3-point contest. She said, “I am incredibly sad and disappointed to say I can’t participate … I have to rest my body.”July 24:\u00a0The\u00a0Fever\u00a0said\u00a0Clark’s medical evaluations<\/a>\u00a0confirmed there’s “no additional injuries or damage,” but the team said it will be cautious with Clark’s rehab and recovery.Aug. 7:\u00a0Clark reportedly suffered a mild bone bruise in her left ankle during an individual workout session in Phoenix, according to\u00a0The Indianapolis Star<\/a>, part of the USA TODAY Network.Aug. 8:\u00a0During an appearance on\u00a0Sue Bird’s podcast, “Bird’s Eye View,”<\/a>\u00a0Clark\u00a0spoke<\/a>\u00a0about the frustrations of her injury-filled season: \u201cIt\u2019s not like I have a training camp to build up to play in my first game again. It\u2019s like no, you\u2019re tossed into Game 30 \u2014 like, \u2018Go try to play well.\u2019 It\u2019s hard, it really is.\u201dAug. 10:\u00a0Fever coach Stephanie White said Clark has progressed in her recovery and has started running full court again, but Clark hasn’t returned to practice just yet: an important step in her ramp-up. “She’s been able to get a little bit more in her full-court running with all of her body weight. … She’s been able to do a little more on the court in terms of how she moves, but not into practice yet,” White\u00a0said.<\/a>Aug. 20:\u00a0White confirmed that Clark has not returned to practice yet.Aug. 24:\u00a0Clark participated in a team shootaround<\/a>\u00a0and went through some non-contact drills with the second team, marking her first time practicing with the team since suffering a right groin injury on July 15.Caitlin Clark stats<\/p>\n Clark is averaging 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and a career-high 8.8 assists in 13 games this season. Her assists average is the second-highest in the league, behind Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas (9.2).<\/p>\n