Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark will miss her fourth consecutive recreation with a proper groin damage on Sunday when her group travels to the Windy Metropolis to tackle the Chicago Sky. Clark, who was injured late within the Fever’s win over the Connecticut Sun on July 15, doesn’t have an official return timeline.
The Fever released an update on Thursday afternoon that acknowledged that Clark “underwent additional medical evaluations earlier this week, which confirmed that no extra accidents or harm have been found.” The group added that Clark will “proceed working with the medical group on her restoration and rehabilitation, with the precedence on her long-term well being and well-being.”
Following Sunday’s contest, the Fever will shut July at house versus the Phoenix Mercury on July 30. The group will start August with a three-game highway journey that takes them to the West Coast. It is unclear if Clark will likely be able to go then.
After a historic Rookie of the Yr season, Clark’s sophomore marketing campaign has been derailed by accidents. She’s been restricted to 13 appearances attributable to a left quad pressure that saved her out for 3 weeks, a left groin damage that sidelined her for 2 weeks and now a proper groin damage. Alongside the way in which, she’s missed out on the Commissioner’s Cup championship and All-Star weekend in her adopted house metropolis of Indianapolis.
Spending a lot time on the coaching desk is a brand new expertise for Clark, who previous to this season had not missed a recreation attributable to damage since she was in highschool.
“That is the primary time I have not felt like a younger physique that may run round and dash day by day and simply proceed to try this,” Clark told Glamour over All-Star weekend. “Being knowledgeable athlete, you actually need to maintain each your physique and your thoughts — it has been a journey studying about that.”
Caitlin Clark explains how injuries have affected her: ‘First time I haven’t felt like a young body’
Jack Maloney
When Clark has been in a position to get on the ground, she’s struggled to seek out the shape that made her an All-WNBA First Crew honoree final season. Except for a triple-double within the Fever’s season opener and a 32-point, eight-rebound, nine-assist effort in her return from her first damage, a lot of the dialogue about Clark’s on-court efficiency has centered round her prolonged taking pictures droop.
Clark is 7 of 49 from 3-point vary in her final seven appearances, and has didn’t make a 3-pointer in three separate video games. For the season, she’s taking pictures 36.7% from the sector, together with 27.9% from behind the arc. Notably, she is 2 of 35 from downtown on the highway.
Regardless of her poor taking pictures, Clark continues to be placing up 16.5 factors, 5 rebounds and eight.8 assists per recreation — good for second within the league — and the Fever have been considerably higher along with her on the ground. The 12-12 Fever are 8-5 when Clark performs and 4-7 when she doesn’t. Moreover, their offensive score drops from 108.6 with Clark to 100.4 with out her.
Coming into Thursday, the Fever sit in sixth place with a one-game benefit on the ninth-place Washington Mystics. Because the stretch run begins, the Fever will hope to string the needle of giving Clark sufficient time to get well and be as near 100% as doable for a possible postseason run, whereas additionally ensuring they get there within the first place.