Caitlin Clark has been ruled out of Wednesday night’s matchup against the New York Liberty due to a groin injury that resurfaced during the Indiana Fever’s win over the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday. The injury occurred late in the fourth quarter after Clark assisted on the team’s final basket. As she turned down the court, she appeared in pain, clutching her left leg and later covering her face with a towel while seated on the bench.
This will be the third time this season that the WNBA Rookie of the Year has missed a game because of injury. In May, Clark was sidelined for five games with a quad issue. More recently, she missed time due to a strain in the same groin area now affected.
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White acknowledged the increasing physical nature of the league and pointed out that Clark has been a frequent target of intense play. While her recent injury didn’t come from contact, White noted that Clark will need to adapt and use the physicality to her advantage going forward.
White added that the overall physicality in the WNBA has noticeably increased compared to previous years. Clark had never missed a game during her college career at Iowa or her rookie season until now.
The setback follows Clark’s participation in the All-Star break, where she was named a captain and is expected to compete in the upcoming 3-point contest on Friday. Her status for that event remains uncertain.
