Fever’s Caitlin Clark injury saga draws punishment decision from WNBA

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Fever’s Caitlin Clark injury saga draws punishment decision from WNBA

Originally posted on ChiCitySports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated May 21, 2026 11:25 PM ET

The Indiana Fever ruffled some feathers on Wednesday after they announced that Caitlin Clark would not play against the Portland Fire due to a back injury.

This was Clark’s first missed game of the new WNBA season. What made the whole situation look bad was the fact that the Fever did not disclose the two-time All-Star’s injury prior to the game. This is despite head coach Stephanie White revealing before the Fire game that Clark sat out practice on Wednesday due to the same back issue.

Fans were not at all pleased with how the Fever handled Clark’s latest injury. So much so that supporters were demanding that the WNBA punish the organization for this latest issue. Per league rules, teams are required to report any injuries by 5:00 p.m. on the day before each game.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) walks to the locker room against the Atlanta Dream.

Indiana Fever receive warning for Caitlin Clark injury situation

The good news for the Fever is that they are not being fined for their mishandling of Clark’s injury status. Instead, Fever reporter Chloe Peterson of the Indianapolis Star reports that the WNBA has issued a warning to the team.

“NEW: The Indiana Fever have received a warning for failure to report Caitlin Clark’s injury status leading up to Wednesday’s game, league sources tell me,” Peterson reported on X.

It is worth noting that this back issue appears to be a lingering injury for Clark. In their first game of the season against the New York Liberty, the 24-year-old left twice. Both Clark and the Fever downplayed the issue, stating that the 6-foot guard just needed her back adjusted mid-game.

Indiana still secured a win against Portland despite Clark’s absence, 90-73. As of writing, it is unclear at this point if Clark will suit up for the Fever’s matchup against the Golden State Valkyries on Friday.

This article first appeared on ChiCitySports and was syndicated with permission.

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