Latest Caitlin Clark update leaves Fever in a tough spot

The Indiana Fever have been without superstar guard Caitlin Clark since July 15. She's been rehabbing a right groin injury for over a month, but now it's being revealed that there's more than just the groin bothering the second-year guard out of Iowa.

Alexa Phillippou of ESPN is reporting that Clark hurt herself earlier this month during a workout. Right now, it's being called a bone bruise on her right ankle.

On Sunday, Fever head coach Stephanie White had told reporters that she hoped Clark would return by the end of the regular season. The 19-16 Fever have nine games remaining on the year.

Now that the news of the bone bruise is out, Indiana is now backtracking on that hope.

"Until she can get into practice and until you guys see her in practice, it's really status quo," White said on Wednesday.

"There was no timeline or projected return to play, so it's impossible to say if it was impacted," a team representative said regarding whether or not this bone bruise has impacted Clark's timetable to return. "So, it remains the same: to give Caitlin as much time needed to ensure she comes back fully healthy, which every day she is working hard to do."

The Fever are 8-5 with Clark playing this season and 11-11 without her. To make matters worse, they just lost veteran guard Sophie Cunningham for the season with a knee injury.

Indiana is in a tough spot. The Fever are currently the sixth-best team in the WNBA in a playoff system that takes the top eight seeds overall. The 19-17 Golden State Valkyries, 18-18 Seattle Storm, 16-18 Los Angeles Sparks and 16-19 Washington Mystics are also hot on the Fever's heels.

While Indiana can absolutely make a run in these last nine games, things have gotten that much tougher if Clark doesn't return by the end of the season.

Clark has averaged 16.5 points, 8.8 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game this season.