Caitlin Clark sounded off on her frustrating, injury-riddled sophomore season in the WNBA.
The Fever star told reporters Thursday after Indiana was eliminated by the Aces in the semifinal round on Tuesday night that she is nearing full strength.
Advertisement
“I’ve been working really hard to get back to full health and I feel like, probably, over these last couple of weeks is when I’ve probably started feeling my best.” Clark said. “My ankle didn’t allow me to really see where my groin was at.”
Clark has been sidelined since mid-July with a variety of leg injuries.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) on the court against the Atlanta Dream during the first half of Game 3 of round one for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Gateway Center Arena at College Park. Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Early this season, Clark hurt her left quad and left groin before going down with a right groin injury on July 15.
In early August, she suffered a bone bruise on her left ankle during a workout.
“I just went to kind of make a move and, unfortunately, my ankle completely rolled all the way forward and probably one of the worst sprains I’ve dealt with,” Clark said. “But I’ve just tried to stay positive [the] best I can, but I honestly feel like I’m in a really good spot. People don’t always realize … when you’re injured, it’s honestly more work than when you’re playing.”
Advertisement
Clark played in just 13 contests this season, averaging 16.5 points and 8.8 assists per game, after not missing a contest for the Fever her entire rookie year.
“There [were] certainly some hard days,” Clark said. “I think it taught [me] how to be a really good leader, how to be a really good teammate and how to empathize [with] your teammates in certain situations. When you are in the heat of battle, your emotions are high and you feel things differently … When you’re on the sidelines and you don’t have a jersey on, you can observe and really watch people and learn about people.”
Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever reacts during the first quarter of game one of the first round of WNBA Playoffs between the Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream at Gateway Center Arena on September 14, 2025 in College Park, Georgia. Getty Images
The two-time All-Star was officially shut down for the season in early September as the Fever chased a playoff spot.
Advertisement
“I had hoped to share a better update, but I will not be returning to play this season,” Clark wrote on X. “I spent hours in the gym every day with the singular goal of getting back out there, disappointed isn’t a big enough word to describe how I am feeling. I want to thank everyone who had my back through all the uncertainty. This has been incredibly frustrating, but even in the bad, there is good.”
Despite Clark and Sophie Cunningham suffering season-ending injuries, the Fever nearly took down the Aces to earn a trip to the WNBA Finals against the Mercury.
