Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark has made it official, and she will not be returning to the court this season, the star announced on social media.
Clark, who has been sidelined since July 15 with a right groin injury, previously participated in a non-contact, 5-on-0 workout with the Fever’s backups during team shootaround in Phoenix on Tuesday morning. However, it became apparent that a return this season was not in the cards.
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“I had hoped to share a better update, but I will not be returning to play this season,” Clark said on Thursday in a post 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.”
Clark admitted in her statement that the news has been “incredibly frustrating” but thanked the fans for their support in recent months while she was injured.
“I am so proud of how this team has only gotten stronger through adversity this year,” Clark said in the statement. “Now it’s time to close out the season and claim our spot in the Playoffs.”
Fever head coach Stephanie White previously stated that Clark needed to participate in multiple live, full-contact practices before she could be cleared to make a return to the court.
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White said on Tuesday that Clark had “just been doing shooting and mostly individual stuff.”
Clark’s absence in Friday’s game against the Chicago Sky marks her 20th consecutive game missed. Clark has missed 28 of the Fever’s 41 games this season, in addition to the Fever’s Commissioner’s Cup win over the Minnesota Lynx on July 1, the 2025 WNBA All-Star game and 3-point contest.
2025 WNBA PLAYOFF PICTURE: Who clinched a postseason berth? Who’s in, Who’s out?
As of Sept. 4, the Fever are 8-5 with Clark on the court and 13-15 without her.
Will Caitlin Clark play for the rest of the season?
Clark has been ruled out for the rest of the season due to a right groin. The star player announced the news on her official X account on Thursday.
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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, and had 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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Aug. 7: Clark reportedly suffered a mild bone bruise in her left ankle during an individual workout session in Phoenix, according to The Indianapolis Star, part of the USA TODAY Network.
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Aug. 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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Aug. 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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Aug. 20: White confirmed that Clark has not returned to practice yet.
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Aug. 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.
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Sept. 4: Clark shared a post on her official X account, stating that she will miss the rest of the regular season and any potential postseason action.
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 (9.2).
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Caitlin Clark injury officially ends season, Fever star announces
