Kate Martin Shares 'Not Easy' Aspect of Caitlin Clark Missing Fever Games With Injury

Kate Martin, Clark’s former Iowa Hawkeye teammate and now Golden State Valkyrie, spoke to The Mirror and shed some light on how Clark could be dealing with being relegated to watching her team take the court from the bench.

“I know how much of a go-getter she is, so anything like this is going to stink. I know she just wants to be out there with her team, and she just wants to be playing all the time. So hopefully she can rest up and heal up soon.”

While this will be the first time Clark is missing an in-season game, she was out for the Fever’s first preseason game against the Mystics this season. But her impact was still felt by the team with Clark jumping up and calling plays out to her teammates from the sidelines.

It’s this competitive nature that Martin told The Mirror must make things “very difficult” for her to not take part in.

“She wants to be out there for a full 40 minutes every single game of every single season. And so it's not easy as a competitor to have to be held back,” Martin said. 

“That's the competitive nature. That's how passionate she is. And that's how much she cares about the game. So yeah, I obviously feel for her and I'm always going to be in her corner.”

Fever fans were also disheartened to hear the news that Clark is projected to miss at least two weeks of the season recovering, especially those who bought tickets specifically to see her in action.

“Everybody wanted her out on the court, so we never wanted her to sit out either,” Martin said. “I mean, I'm sure she pushed through a lot at Iowa and I'm sure she pushed through a lot last year too.”

Clark’s absence is a blow to her fans and teammates alike, but in the big picture, a few weeks off is a small price to pay for a career that will be undoubtedly stacked with highlights and memorable moments.