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Indiana Fever Player on Temporary Leave Was 'in a Lot of Pain' After Injury Scare

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Jul 5, 2025 8:08 PM ET

Given Caitlin Clark's five-game absence due to a lingering groin problem, the last thing the Indiana Fever need right now is another injury to one of the other players on their roster.

It appears that the Fever may have dodged a bullet in this respect after veteran center-forward Damiris Dantas suffered a painful injury in Saturday's semifinal game between Brazil and Mexico in the FIBA Women's AmeriCup quarterfinal.

According to Brazilian-American WNBA reporter Roberta F. Rodrigues, Dantas had to be "helped out of the court" after twisting her ankle in the first half of Saturday's contest. The 32-year-old was reportedly "in a lot of pain" as she lay on the ground before being forced to exit the game.

The good news for Dantas is that the injury did not appear to be as serious as initially suspected. Rodrigues reported minutes later that the Brazilian federation told her that the veteran was "doing well" and that there was "nothing serious going on with her ankle."

Dantas was able to start the second half for Brazil. She reportedly "looked normal" and did not have a noticeable limp. It also did not look like she was bothered by the issue, as Dantas led her squad to an 84-61 blowout win with 24 points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals and two triples in 34 minutes of play.

Brazil is back in action on Sunday in its semifinal matchup against rivals Argentina, and there has been no indication that Dantas, who is one of the frontrunners for the tournament's MVP title, will sit out the pivotal matchup.

If Dantas and Co. win against Argentina, they will play in the gold-medal game against either the United States or Canada on Monday.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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