Earlier this week, the Indiana Fever was issued a warning by the WNBA for not promptly disclosing Caitlin Clark’s injury status ahead of a Wednesday night game against the Portland Fire. In spite of league guidelines stating that player injuries need to be reported by 5:00 p.m. the day before a game, the Fever announced that Clark would be ruled out due to back issues just two hours before the Indiana-Portland clash.
Ahead of the Fever’s game against the Golden State Valkyries on Friday, Fever head coach Stephanie White was asked to comment on the warning issued to her team. White offered a short response.
“My reaction is: For what?”
When the reporter subsequently asked why White reacted that way, she shrugged and continued to respond with economy of words.
“Because we did things the right way.”
Caitlin Clark’s health has been a resounding talking point since last season, when her sophomore year in the WNBA was derailed by injuries like a quad strain and groin issues.
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Notably, when Clark was ruled out for the Portland game this week, Fever beat writer Scott Agness reported that a “strategic management plan” was at play. Given CC’s injuries over the past 12 months, it certainly makes sense for the Fever to implement some sort of load management for their top star, albeit with the caveat of drawing criticism from the WNBA community.
“It’s Me and My Confidence”: Caitlin Clark Opens Up on Decision to Not Play in Indiana-Portland Game
Hours before the Fever-Valkyries matchup on Friday, Caitlin Clark got candid on the decision that led to her sitting out the Portland game earlier in the week.
“At the end of the day, it’s me and my confidence…Coming back from three soft tissue injuries is a real mental challenge…These are the best players in the world, and if I don’t feel 100% confident in my body for game five of the year, I don’t know if that’s really worth it in that scenario.”
Clark added that she texted her mother about not playing in the Portland game just 40 minutes before the rest of the world found out about her late scratch.
