INDIANAPOLIS — Caitlin Clark has never missed a game in her college or professional career. That will change Wednesday.
Clark was diagnosed with a left quad strain, the Indiana Fever announced Monday, and will miss a minimum of two weeks before she is reevaluated.
Advertisement
“I don’t know when it happened,” Fever coach Stephanie White said. “I know (after the Liberty game) we got a message that something was going on with her leg and they were getting an MRI, and then we got the word.”
This left quad strain is a new injury, White said. It is not a reaggravation of the left quad injury that Clark had in the preseason. It will mark the first time Clark will miss an official game in her college and WNBA career. She played all 139 games while she was at Iowa, then 46 games to start her professional career.
It’s unknown for Clark, a fierce competitor who hasn’t missed a game in over five years. But, as with every injury, White and her staff want to make sure they address it completely.
“When you think about Caitlin and her not wanting to miss games, she’s obviously a competitor and wants to play, obviously everyone wants to watch her play, you know?” White said. “But for me, it’s maintaining perspective, right? It’s making sure that we address this in a way that doesn’t affect long term, that we take care of it. Don’t over push, don’t over exert, making sure that we take the long-game approach to this, so that we’re not having lingering issues throughout the course of the season. Sometimes great players don’t tell you when they’re hurting. I’m glad that she did, because we need to nip this in the bud.”
Advertisement
Clark will miss at least four games, including Wednesday’s game at Washington in Baltimore, Maryland; Friday’s game against Connecticut; June 3 against Washington; and June 7 at Chicago in the United Center. She will be reevaluated on June 9, which is one day before the Fever will play at Atlanta on June 10.
White added that she does not know the specific strain of Clark’s injury. Based on her reevaluation timeline of two weeks, however, it is likely a Grade I or II strain. A Grade I strain is mild and only involves a small number of muscle fibers, according to the Physiotherapy and Sports Injuries Centre, and there is usually pain and tightness but no loss of function. It usually takes two weeks to recover from a Grade I strain. A Grade II strain is slightly more serious, where there would be some loss of function, and that typically takes 4-6 weeks for a full recovery.
Last time out: Fever squander 12-point fourth-quarter vs. New York
Right now, too, is a prime opportunity for Clark to get a different perspective on the game, White said.
Advertisement
“Certainly we’d rather have it early than late,” White said of Clark’s injury. “It’s a great opportunity for our team to find an identity. It’s a great opportunity for our team to play in a different way. And I also think it’s a great opportunity for Caitlin to watch the game from the sideline and to grow and almost like a coaching kind of mindset, and see some different things that we might be talking about on film, addressing in practice, to see it develop in live action.”
With Clark out for at least two weeks, the Fever have a huge void to fill — both at point guard and to replace the offensive firepower she brings.
Clark averaged 19 points, 6.0 assists, and 9.3 rebounds over the first four games of the season, and notched a triple-double against the Sky in the Fever’s season-opener.
“It’s a tough break, but that’s what you have a team for,” Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell said. “You’re allowing the team to hopefully put ourselves in a position where when C2 (Caitlin) does come back, we’re setting ourselves up to just keep this rolling.”
Advertisement
The Fever likely won’t be able to replace all the unique parts of Clark’s game, like the long-range 3-pointers or innate passing ability, but they have players who are able to fill the gap.
Sydney Colson, 35, is Indiana’s official backup point guard. She has 10 years of experience in the league, mostly in backup roles, and signed with the Fever in the offseason. She is averaging 8 minutes over three games. She has four total points, two rebounds, one assist, and three steals on the season.
Another option to fill in at point is Sophie Cunningham, who has taken over at times this season when the Fever took Clark off the ball. She missed the first two games of the season with an ankle injury but has been primarily working as the backup PG on the court since her return, and White praises her ability to play multiple positions
Cunningham has versatility as a 6-1 wing and can handle the ball, but she also brings a lot of spark in off-ball actions.
Advertisement
Mitchell could also spend some time at point, as she has in previous seasons. She has done it rarely so far this year, with the Fever coaching staff preferring to keep her off the ball as a shooting guard.
All three of those players are options to take over point guard duties, whether it’s by committee or delegated to one person.
“We wanted to use today to kind of evaluate that,” White said. “I mean, certainly Syd has an opportunity to come in and make an impact, and we’ve seen that with her throughout the course of her career. I do like the fact that we have her, we have Kelsey, and we have Sophie that can all handle the ball and get us into offense.”
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana Fever taking ‘long-game approach’ to Caitlin Clark’s quad injury
