Life without Caitlin Clark hasn’t started well for the Indiana Fever. The Fever entered this season with the expectation of being in the fight for the title come October. Key veterans like DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, Sydney Colson, and Sophie Cunningham were brought in to support that goal. But with a 2–3 start to the season and Clark sidelined by a left quadriceps injury, things haven’t gone according to plan for Stephanie White and her squad. Even analysts are beginning to express concern about the Fever’s rocky start.
Even with Caitlin Clark averaging 19.0 points and a league-leading 9.3 assists through her first four games, the Fever managed to win just two of those games. Close defeats to the Atlanta Dream and New York Liberty made it even worse for the Fever. Now, with the reigning Rookie of the Year sidelined, the challenge has only gotten tougher. The Fever lost their first game without Clark, 77–83, and currently sit 9th in the standings.
Although it’s still early in the season, only the top eight teams make the postseason in the WNBA, and the higher-seeded teams typically enjoy the advantage of playing at home. Teams like the Seattle Storm, Phoenix Mercury, and Atlanta Dream, all of whom were expected to finish below the Fever, could very well become obstacles in Indiana’s pursuit of securing a playoff spot with home-court advantage. That is exactly what Sabreena Merchant of The Athletic believes as well.
In the No Offseason: The Athletic Women’s Basketball Show, she said, “This is the kind of thing (if the above mentioned teams continue winning) that could legitimately affect Indiana’s ability to have a home-court position in the first round, if the injury lingers and they don’t do well in her absence… and that’s meaningful, right?”
Currently, the Mercury have started the season strong with a 4-1 record, followed closely by the Storm at 3-2. The Dream are at 2-2. Things could get tricky for the Fever if these teams continue to win. However, one potential silver lining for Indiana is their upcoming schedule. They’re set to face the Sun, Mystics, and Sky before Caitlin Clark is expected to return. The Sun remain winless, and the Sky have picked up just one victory so far. On paper, these next two matchups should be winnable for the Fever, even without Clark.
But the Fever haven’t started well without Caitlin Clark. The team’s offense felt off without her presence on the floor against the Mystics. The spacing, which is something the Fever superstar naturally commands with her elite playmaking and deep three-point shooting was noticeably off. The pace slowed down, allowing the Mystics’ defense to get set more effectively. In the first half, only Natasha Howard and DeWanna Bonner made more than one field goal.
May 17, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) in the first half against the Chicago Sky at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
The Fever had multiple defensive breakdowns as well! They allowed 12 offensive rebounds, which led to the Mystics taking six more shots. Washington shot 43.5% from the field compared to Indiana’s 39.7%, and went 19-of-25 from the free-throw line. These are areas that need immediate improvement, or it will be fair to start questioning whether Stephanie White and co are genuine playoff contenders or not.
According to reports, Clark should be back by the time the Fever play the Dream on the 10th of this month. But head coach Stephanie White has already made it clear that they won’t rush her back. Perhaps the wait to watch Caitlin might be longer than the three remaining games? Let’s take a look!
Stephanie White outlines her intentions for a Caitlin Clark return
“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 said when asked about Clark’s injury.
The organization has confirmed that the superstar will be reevaluated on June 9 before making any decision on her playing time. So while many are expecting her to be back for the Dream game, that might not be the case. Even Seerat Sohi warned about this on The Ringer podcast. She said, “If you’re a Fever fan, don’t even look into NBA history because quads and their recovery time… are just not a fun wormhole to go down.”
It remains to be seen when Clark will return to action, but Stephanie White’s work doesn’t stop until then. She has to find ways to make the offense click again and keep winning without their talisman. Can she do it? Only time will tell!
The post Walls Are Closing In on Indiana Fever HC Thanks to National Reporter’s Overwhelming Stance Around Caitlin Clark’s Injury appeared first on EssentiallySports.
