For the first time this season, the Fever will be without Caitlin Clark on Wednesday after the star guard was a late scratch due to a back injury.
According to head coach Stephanie White, Clark woke up on Wednesday with back stiffness. After going through a workout, the Fever opted not to risk it and ruled her out. However, eyebrow-raiser, White later said that Clark did not participate in practice on Tuesday and received treatment instead, which raises questions about the timeline of events.
“Just woke up with some stiffness and some soreness,” White said. “Like we always say, how do you respond after a workout? For us, it’s not the time to take a chance. We just really want to be cautious.”
Last year’s Fever side was far more familiar with not having Clark available after she played just 13 games due to multiple injuries. However, White said pregame that this is not a matter of the team managing Clark’s workload but, instead, this is a legitimate injury.
“No, absolutely not. There’s no managing,” White said. “She’s healthy. We’re not managing anything. This is just a back issue that we want to make sure we give the time to be ready.”
While Clark had not been listed on any injury report with a back issue, it is not a new injury that has popped up. In the opening game of the season, Clark went into the tunnel on multiple occasions to get her back readjusted.
At the same time, Clark has also repeatedly said her body has felt fine throughout this season, after a 2025 season that never really got off the ground.
“I feel good,” Clark said after the recent loss to the Mystics. “Obviously, I’m sore, as is everybody. And we have one day in-between [games], so that’ll be my focus tonight.”
Clark has been available for a particularly busy stretch to open the season. She played all three games in a five-day span against the Sparks, Mystics and Storm, the first of those on the road. In fact, Wednesday’s game is the fourth in eight days with the Fever playing again on Friday before having six days off.
In theory, it would make sense that the Fever are limiting her minutes and workload this season after an injury-riddled sophomore campaign. In signing a number of guards and largely limiting her minutes this season, signs would point to the team making sure her body doesn’t break down again.
Except for the messaging from the team, at least for now.
“Don’t anticipate [ongoing issues],” White said, “but you know I’m not a doctor.”
