Clark (Fever) still without contact: Will she return before the end of the WNBA season?

Caitlin Clark still without contact authorization, but progresses in her recovery

A week before the end of the regular season, the situation of Caitlin Clark, player for the Indiana Fever, remains uncertain. Although she has not yet received authorization to participate in contact drills during training, the point guard has taken a step forward by participating in full-court work, 5-on-0, during warm-up in Phoenix on Tuesday morning. Fever coach Stephanie White informed the media that Clark has been limited to shooting exercises and individual work. Clark, who was Rookie of the Year in 2024, has been out of action since June 15 due to a right groin injury. Tuesday’s game against the Phoenix Mercury will mark the 19th consecutive game she has missed. This season, he has only played in 13 games due to various injuries to his left quadriceps, left groin, and right groin. On August 7, he suffered a bone contusion in his left ankle. A team spokesperson stated that it is “impossible to say” if the bone contusion affected Clark’s return time, as there was never a scheduled return date.

The hope is that she returns before the end of the regular season. She is working as hard as she can to make sure she is returning or is able to return. I think the long-term perspective of her health and well-being is the most important thing.

Stephanie White, Fever coach.

White has reiterated that Clark needs to participate in several training sessions before being authorized to play matches, and clarified that, due to the limited time, these training sessions could include 3-on-3 or 4-on-4 work. Since the on-court work that Clark did on Tuesday was non-contact, it seems unlikely that this will count towards the number of practice sessions needed to return to action. After Tuesday’s game in Phoenix, the Fever have only three games left in the regular season: they host the Chicago Sky on Friday, visit the Washington Mystics on Sunday, and host the Minnesota Lynx on September 9th. Indiana currently holds the seventh spot in the standings, ahead of the Seattle Storm in eighth place and half a game behind the Golden State Valkyries in sixth.