Why Valkyries could give Caitlin Clark problems in her expected return

In a Tuesday news conference, Fever head coach Stephanie White confirmed Clark, who has missed five straight games, is scheduled to return in Wednesday's home game against the Golden State Valkyries at noon ET on NBA TV. Clark said she hopes to play a little more than 20 minutes.

The Valkyries, an expansion franchise, are one of the biggest surprises in the WNBA this season due to their stingy defense. As of Tuesday, Golden State (9-9) has allowed the league's second-fewest points (78.2) and the lowest field-goal percentage (39.9%).

Valkyries forward Kayla Thornton continues to establish herself as a defensive pest. Through her first 18 games, she ranked 12th in the WNBA in steals (1.6). According to Basketball Reference, she's 10th in the league in defensive rating (98.68), which measures the number of points a player allows per 100 possessions. 

That makes things more challenging for Clark, who was experiencing one of the worst cold spells of her career before the injury. 

In the five games before she hurt her groin, Clark shot 30-of-79 (37.9%) from the field. She scored a season-low six points on 3-of-13 shooting from the field in her last game against the Seattle Storm on June 24. 

Clark, of course, is still one of the top players in the league when healthy. Through her first nine games this season, she has averaged 18.2 points per game, five rebounds per game and 8.9 assists per game. 

The Fever (9-9) can rely on their potent offense to take pressure off Clark. Indiana scored the league's fifth-most points (84.1) through its first 18 games.

However, if the Valkyries create problems for Clark, that shouldn't be a shocker.