The Indiana Fever have been cautious with Caitlin Clark’s return from a right groin injury to ensure the point guard is ready for a long playoff run. But the Fever’s postseason hopes are in jeopardy after losing six of eight games and slipping to eighth place in the WNBA standings.
Clark is expected to be out for Fever’s matchup against the Seattle Storm on Tuesday, marking her 16th consecutive absence after suffering the groin injury in Indiana’s 85-77 win over the Connecticut Sun on July 15. Clark has played in 13 of the Fever’s 37 games this season. The Fever are below .500 when Clark isn’t in the lineup with a 11-13 record this season.
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Despite tweaking her ankle during an individual workout on Aug. 7, Clark appears to be trending in the right direction. She participated in team shootaround and non-contact drills on Aug. 24, marking her first time working out with the team in over a month since suffering the right groin injury.
Here’s what we know about Clark’s right groin injury, including a complete injury timeline and her anticipated return:
Is Caitlin Clark playing Tuesday? Injury status for Fever-Storm
Clark (right groin injury) is not expected to play in the Fever’s matchup against the Seattle Storm on Tuesday in Indianapolis, which tips off at 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network. There is no timetable for her return.
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How was Caitlin Clark injured?
Clark suffered a right groin injury in the final minute of the Fever’s 85-77 victory over the Sun at TD Garden in Boston on July 15. With 39.1 seconds remaining in the contest, Clark completed a bounce pass to Kelsey Mitchell to put the Fever up 84-75. After the pass, Clark immediately grabbed for her right groin and grimaced as she gingerly walked to and headbutted the stanchion. She did not return.
Caitlin Clark injury timeline
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May 24: Clark suffered a left quad injury during the Fever’s 90-88 loss to the New York Liberty, where she recorded a double-double with 18 points and 10 assists. Clark couldn’t pinpoint the specific play that caused her injury, but noted that it happened early in the contest. Clark said, “Adrenaline covers up a lot of stuff when you’re in the heat of battle. After the game, I had some pain, and then we got an MRI, and that kind of gave me the result that I didn’t want to see.” She missed the Fever’s next five games.
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June 24: Clark suffered a left groin injury in the Fever’s 94-86 win over the Seattle Storm, which resulted in Clark missing the team’s next four games. Fever coach Stephanie White said she learned of Clark’s groin injury the following night after Clark alerted team trainers of discomfort.
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July 9: Clark returned to the Fever’s lineup in the Fever’s 80-61 loss to the Golden State Valkyries. Clark was limited to 10 points, shooting 4 of 12 from the field and 2 of 5 from the 3-point line, in addition to six assists, five rebounds and four turnovers. Following the blowout loss, Clark said it was “going to take me a second to get my wind back. … Just trying to get my legs under me.”
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July 15: Clark suffered a right groin injury in the final minute of the Fever’s 85-77 victory over the Sun at TD Garden in Boston. White later confirmed Clark “felt a little something in her groin.” This marked the last game for which Clark suited up.
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July 18: Clark announced that she would sit out the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis, where she was named a team captain. Clark was also set to participate in the 3-point contest. She said, “I am incredibly sad and disappointed to say I can’t participate … I have to rest my body.”
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August 7: Clark reportedly suffered a mild bone bruise in her left ankle while during an individual workout session in Phoenix on Aug. 7, according to The Indianapolis Star, part of the USA TODAY Network.
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August 8: During an appearance on Sue Bird’s podcast, “Bird’s Eye View,” Clark spoke about the frustrations of her injury-filled season: “It’s not like I have a training camp to build up to play in my first game again. It’s like no, you’re tossed into Game 30 — like, ‘Go try to play well.’ It’s hard, it really is.”
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August 10: Fever coach Stephanie White said Clark has progressed in her recovery and has started running full court again, but Clark hasn’t returned to practice just yet: an important step in her ramp-up. “She’s been able to get a little bit more in her full-court running with all of her body weight… She’s been able to do a little more on the court in terms of how she moves, but not into practice yet,” White said.
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August 20: White confirmed that Clark has not returned to practice yet.
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August 24: Clark participated in a team shootaround and went through some non-contact drills with the second team, marking her first time practicing with the team since suffering a right groin injury on July 15.
Caitlin Clark stats
Clark is averaging 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and a career-high 8.8 assists in 13 games this season. Her assists average is the second-highest in the league, behind Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas (9.0).
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is Fever guard Caitlin Clark playing Tuesday vs. Storm? Injury update
