Fever Coach Explains Why Caitlin Clark Injury Verdict Came Earlier for Aces Game

The Indiana Fever will be facing the Las Vegas Aces on July 3 without superstar guard Caitlin Clark, as Clark will be missing her fourth straight game with a groin injury.

Many were hoping that Clark would be active for this contest, especially because she was a game-time decision for the team's July 1 game against the Lynx. This sparked the belief that Clark might have been able to play, had Indiana not wanted to be as cautious as possible in handling her return.

However, Clark was ruled out for this July 3 game about a full day before tip-off. This caused concern for some fans, who felt like this earlier verdict might have meant Clark suffered a setback or had her progress toward a return stalled.

But Fever head coach Stephanie White addressed this when speaking with the media on July 2 by saying, "I don't know if there's extra concern. It's more of, 'Hey, let's maintain perspective.' She wants to play, and she's working to play. And she has been working to play. And I think after a few days, it's like, 'Okay, we've got a little bit of time,'" per an X post from @caitscroptop.

"Thinking, what, we've got five games before [the] All-Star Break? We've got a little bit of time. So let's just ease her mind. Even though she's antsy, let's do this the right way and make sure we're ready to go and 100% when she comes back," White added of Clark.