The women's basketball world is still reeling from the news that Indiana Fever star guard Caitlin Clark will be sidelined for at least the next two weeks (and potentially longer) because of a left quad strain she has sustained, which was announced this morning.
There's no doubt that this is a brutal loss for the Fever, as Clark is the key to their entire offense working like a well-oiled machine. However, given that the Fever have a favorable schedule over these next two weeks (including two games against teams that have not yet won in the 2025 regular season), Indiana has a good chance of keeping its head above water in Clark's absence.
What's for sure is that the Fever won't rush Clark back to the court, which head coach Stephanie White conveyed when speaking with the media on May 26.
"You know, there's so many things when you think about Caitlin and her not wanting to miss games," White said, per an X post from James Boyd of The Athletic. “Obviously, she’s a competitor and wants to play. Obviously, everyone wants to watch her play.
"But for me, it's maintaining perspective. It's making sure that we address this in a way that doesn't affect [the] long-term. That we take care of it, don't over-push, don't over-exert. Making sure that we take the long-game approach to this so that we're not having lingering issues throughout the course of the season," White continued.
"And I'm glad that, you know, sometimes great players don't tell you that they're hurting. I'm glad that she did, because we need to nip this in the bud."
#Fever’s Stephanie White on being cautious with Caitlin Clark’s quad:
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) May 26, 2025
“Obviously, she’s a competitor and wants to play. Obviously, everyone wants to watch her play. But for me ... it’s making sure that we address this in a way that doesn’t affect long term …” | @TheAthleticWBB pic.twitter.com/kOROYjBaj3
It was certainly smart for Clark to speak up about this injury so that she's (hopefully) out for only two weeks, as opposed to keeping quiet about it and potentially missing a longer period of time, later on in the season.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!