Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark suffered a left quadriceps strain and has been ruled out for at least two weeks. It’s unclear when the injury occurred, but it’s worth noting that the reigning Rookie of the Year was seen holding a compress to her left leg during last Saturday’s game against the New York Liberty.
Clark remained in that contest until the final buzzer, and two days later, the Fever announced the injury along with the expected recovery timeline.
Her first missed game was on the road against the Washington Mystics on Wednesday. It remained close throughout but ultimately Indiana lost 83-77 to fall to 2-3 on the season. Fever center DeWanna Bonner led the way in Clark's absence with 21 points, four rebounds and one assist.
With all the attention Clark has received since entering the league last season, she hadn’t missed a WNBA game until Wednesday. Ticket prices for that game dropped 47%, according to Front Office Sports, and it’s clear fans were more interested in paying to see Clark than watching the Fever without her.
But how about the television ratings for the fans watching from home. According to USA Today's Christine Brennan , viewership "for Wednesday’s Fever-Mystics game without Caitlin Clark tells the story: 357,000 watched on NBA TV. Eight days earlier, also on NBA TV, 581,000 watched Clark and the Fever play the Dream."
The drop-off is clear, and the WNBA will have to do what it can until she returns. For what it’s worth, Clark set record after record in her rookie season, was named an All-Star, selected to the All-WNBA First Team, led the league in assists, and more.
Through five games this season, she’s averaging 19.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 9.3 assists.
More must-reads: