Just minutes before tip-off, the energy in the arena shifted from excitement to stunned silence. Fans who packed the stadium hoping to see Caitlin Clark electrify the court were instead met with an unexpected and heartbreaking announcement—she wouldn’t be playing. What happened? Is this injury more serious than the team is letting on? And how are her teammates handling the pressure of playing without their breakout star?
Find out what really happened and how fans are reacting in the full story.
Adding to Caitlin Clark’s frustration, which was already compounded by her shooting slump and recent losses, a new problem has arisen.
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After missing five games earlier this month due to a strained quadriceps in her left leg, Clark will have to sit out Thursday night’s game against the Los Angeles Sparks due to a new injury to her left groin.
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This was confirmed by the Indiana Fever on their official X account. However, the team did not disclose the date of her return. “Status Report for tonight’s game vs. Los Angeles: Caitlin Clark – Out (left groin),” they wrote in the post.
Muted night for Caitlin Clark in Indiana’s locker room celebration
Coach Stephanie White confirmed that CC began experiencing discomfort last night, so she quickly notified the coaching staff and underwent an MRI, although the results of these tests have not been made public.
At a press conference, White described the injury as “day-to-day” and said they would continuously evaluate her response to treatment.
The reaction of Fever fans
Of course, news of this magnitude did not go unnoticed by Indiana and Clark fans.
In the same X post by the team, hundreds of fans left messages of support, although they did not sugarcoat the situation or hide their sadness at Caitlin’s absence:
“This explains a lot. No way she’s this off, if not for injury. Rest up and come back stronger,” commented one user. “Nooo. What is with this season? Caitlin, praying for you,” said another fan. “This is terrible, but I want her to rest,” wrote another follower.
The truth is that, despite Indiana’s 7-7 record, Clark is on a shooting slump. She made only 1 of 10 three-pointers against the Aces, 0 of 7 three-pointers in the game against the Valkyries, and in the victory against Seattle, she made only 3 of 13 field goals. Some fans also commented that this could be due to her not being 100%. In addition, others questioned the coaching staff’s decisions and Clark’s early return to the court.
Now, all eyes will be on her recovery and trying to get a win to break the record. They will face the Sparks (4-11) at home with this goal in mind and then travel to play the Dallas Wings (4-12) on Friday.