The underlying reason behind Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark injury decision

Caitlin Clark will miss her second game of the season on Saturday when the Indiana Fever host the Los Angeles Sparks for a home game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Fever head coach Stephanie White told reporters on Friday that Clark has been ruled out for Saturday’s matchup as she continues to deal with a back injury. It was this same back issue that forced the two-time WNBA All-Star to sit out Indiana’s game against the Portland Fire on May 20.

Clark tweaked her back in Wednesday’s 111-109 loss to the Phoenix Mercury. She fell to the ground in the second quarter after being fouled on a three-point attempt. The former Iowa Hawkeyes standout was ruled out in the third quarter.

White was fuming in her postgame press conference as she called out the referees for not calling a flagrant foul after Clark’s defender encroached on her landing space during the contentious play.

Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White explains Caitlin Clark decision

Speaking to the press during practice on Friday, White said that Clark is “doing alright.” The 24-year-old was nowhere to be found at practice. White revealed that there currently is “no indication” of how long Clark will be out.

White pointed out, however, that this decision was significantly influenced by the Fever’s schedule next week. After Saturday’s game, Indiana gets a full week off before returning to action on July 5 against the Las Vegas Aces. According to White, the team intends to take the opportunity to let Clark heal.

“Obviously, it’s a good time because we have all week next week,” White said. “So we’ll take all week next week just to get her treatment. Get her healthy, get her back on the floor, and see what happens. It’s the same thing — long-term health and wellness is the most important thing.”

Caitlin Clark is going to be out on Saturday, Steph White says.

“No indication” on how long she’ll be out, but White says their week off next week is a good time to get her treatment. pic.twitter.com/THPUQfekdv

— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) June 26, 2026

The decision to have Clark sit out against the 8-9 Sparks is more than just a one-game absence. The underlying motivation for the Fever is the extended time off for the 6-foot guard. This gives her at least 10 days of rest since she last took the court.

At the end of the day, The Fever’s priority will always be their cornerstone superstar’s long-term health.

“Again, we want her to be healthy — physically, mentally, emotionally, all of the things,” White added. “It’s important to remember, again, when you’ve gone through injury and the traumatic aspect of injury, especially that she had last year, it’s ups and downs. … Making sure that she’s 100% ready to go is the most important thing. And her taking care of that is (a) priority for us.”

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