Fever’s Caitlin Clark reveals how injury frustration will impact her career originally appeared on The Sporting News
Caitlin Clark’s second WNBA season has not gone the way anyone envisioned. After storming to Rookie of the Year honors and guiding the Indiana Fever to the playoffs in 2024, Clark has had to sit and watch the majority of this season from the sidelines, as injuries have inhibited her ability to hit the hardwood.
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Clark on Thursday missed her ninth game in a row, and her 19th of the 2025 season. The Fever are 8-5 with Clark, and 10-9 without her after suffering a 95-60 loss to the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday night. She last played on July 15, when she suffered a right groin injury in the fourth quarter of a win over the Connecticut Sun.
In all, Clark has suffered three separate injuries this season, prompting disappointment that she discussed with WNBA legend Sue Bird on the latter’s Bird’s Eye View podcast.
MORE: The Indiana Fever is running out of point guards
In the episode released Friday, Clark revealed that she didn’t understand how to process the physical pain she began to feel earlier this season. She said has endured “really frustrating days” and is doing her best to trust the process, even as fans miss watching her play.
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“It’s not like I have a training camp to build up to playing my first game again,” Clark told Bird. “You’re tossed into game 30, like, ‘go try to play well.'”
Clark though explained that the absences have given her “really good perspective” on what injured teammates over the years have had to go through. Even though she is without a firm timetable to return to action, she already appreciates what the injuries have taught her about her body and the rigors of WNBA basketball.
“I’ve never been through anything like this, and that’s probably why it’s been so hard,” Clark said. “Whether it’s this year, next year, or even throughout my career, I’m going to be very thankful for this moment.”
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