May 1 (UPI) — WNBA star Caitlin Clark sustained a knee injury during her 2026 debut, an Indiana Fever preseason loss to the Dallas Wings, but expects to be OK.
Clark sustained the left knee injury in the third quarter of the 95-80 setback Thursday in Indianapolis. The All-Star guard scored a game-high 21 points, with four assists and two rebounds.
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“I feel good,” Clark told reporters, saying she landed really hard on her kneecap,
Clark caught a pass from forward Myisha Hines-Allen with about eight minutes remaining in the third quarter. She then launched a deep 3-point shot. Wings forward Alanna Smith, who contested the attempt, made contact with Clark after she released the shot.
Clark, who landed on the ground, grabbed her left knee and remained down on the floor for a brief time. She then limped to the free throw line, where she made 2 of 3 attempts. Raven Johnson replaced Clark in the lineup after her free throw attempts. Clark did not return to the floor.
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Fever coach Stephanie White said “I don’t think so,” when asked if Clark needs evaluation. She also called it a “sigh of relief” when she found out that Clark’s injury isn’t serious.
“We had planned for her to come out about that time anyway,” White said. “It was just extra precaution, I think, getting her out in that moment. But the plan was for her to start the third quarter and then we get her out quickly.”
The Wings outshot the Fever 51.4% to 40%, including a 34.8% to 17.4% edge in 3-point percentage. The Fever also logged 15 assists against 17 turnovers. The Wings logged 25 assists and 22 turnovers.
Wings guard Paige Bueckers made 8 of 12 shots, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range, for 20 points. Maddy Siegrist chipped in 18 points and 11 rebounds. Fellow forward Azzi Fudd, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, made 2 of 7 shots for four points in her debut.
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Fever forward/center Makayla Thompson scored 11 points off the bench. Guard Kelsey Mitchell chipped in 10 points in the loss.
The Fever will host the Wings in their regular-season opener at 1 p.m. EDT Saturday in Indianapolis.
