Caitlin Clark injury update: Fever star has no return timeline, will miss 11th straight game on Tuesday

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Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark will miss her 11th consecutive game with a right groin injury Tuesday when her team takes on No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings. Clark, who was injured late in the Fever's win over the Connecticut Sun on July 15, does not have an official return timeline. As of Monday, Clark had still not returned to practice.

The Fever released an update on July 24 saying that Clark "underwent further medical evaluations earlier this week, which confirmed that no additional injuries or damage were discovered." The team added that Clark will "continue working with the medical team on her recovery and rehabilitation, with the priority on her long-term health and well-being."

Fever coach Stephanie White made an appearance on ESPN's NBA Today last week and said the team is taking it slow with Clark's recovery process.

"It's day-to-day right now, we're putting no timetable on it," White said. "[She is] going through the rehab process, and then we want to reintegrate her from a strength and conditioning standpoint and then get her back to basketball activities. So we're taking it one day at a time, really slow rolling it, slow playing it this time... The most important thing for us is Caitlin's long-term health and getting her back to 100% before we put her back on the floor."


Following Tuesday's contest, the Fever will conclude a three-game homestand with a matchup against the Washington Mystics on Thursday. Considering the fact that Clark has not yet returned to practice, it's unlikely she'll be available for that game.

After a historic Rookie of the Year season, Clark's sophomore campaign has been derailed by injuries. She's been limited to 13 appearances due to a left quad strain that kept her out for three weeks, a left groin injury that sidelined her for two weeks and now a right groin injury. Along the way, she's missed out on the Commissioner's Cup championship and All-Star weekend in her adopted home city of Indianapolis.
Caitlin Clark explains how injuries have affected her: 'First time I haven't felt like a young body'
Jack Maloney


Spending so much time on the training table is a new experience for Clark, who prior to this season had not missed a game due to injury since she was in high school.


"This is the first time I haven't felt like a young body that can run around and sprint every day and just continue to do that," Clark told Glamour over All-Star weekend. "Being a professional athlete, you really have to take care of both your body and your mind -- it's been a journey learning about that."

When Clark has been able to get on the floor, she's struggled to find the form that made her an All-WNBA First Team honoree last season. Aside from a triple-double in the Fever's season opener and a 32-point, eight-rebound, nine-assist effort in her return from her first injury, most of the discussion about Clark's on-court performance has centered around her lengthy shooting slump.

Clark is 7 of 49 from 3-point range in her last seven appearances, and has failed to make a 3-pointer in three separate games. For the season, she's shooting 36.7% from the field, including 27.9% from behind the arc. Notably, she is 2 of 35 from downtown on the road. Despite her poor shooting, Clark is still putting up 16.5 points, five rebounds and 8.8 assists per game -- good for second in the league.


The 18-14 Fever are 8-5 with Clark in the lineup and 10-9 without her. Entering Tuesday they are clinging to the No. 5 seed by virtue of owning the tiebreaker over the Las Vegas Aces (also 18-14). In addition to being without Clark, they are now also without Sydney Colson (torn ACL) and Aari McDonald (broken foot) for the remainder of the season. Over the weekend they signed veteran Odyssey Sims to a hardship contract to hold down the point guard position until Clark gets healthy.