SouthernWorldwide.com – Caitlin Clark is slated to return to the Indiana Fever’s lineup on Friday night for their game against the Golden State Valkyries, having missed the previous game due to an injury, as announced by the team.
Clark, aged 24, was a last-minute scratch and did not participate in the Fever’s Wednesday matchup against the Portland Fire. The team disclosed Clark’s injury merely two hours before the game commenced. Notably, she was absent from the team’s injury report the day prior, when she also skipped practice.
The WNBA issued a warning to the Fever for their failure to report Clark’s injury status in a timely manner before she was unexpectedly pulled from the game.
League regulations stipulate that teams must submit an injury report by 5 p.m. the evening before a game. Should a player’s condition change overnight or early on game day, the team is expected to update the report accordingly. This oversight led to the league’s warning, as reported by The Associated Press.
Despite Clark’s absence on Wednesday, the Fever secured a victory against the Fire with a score of 90-73. Aliyah Boston, with 24 points, and Kelsey Mitchell, with 21 points, were the leading scorers for the Fever in that game.
Clark, currently in her third season with the Fever, has experienced a remarkable start to the current season. Across four games played thus far, she is averaging an impressive 24.3 points, 9 assists, and 5 rebounds per game.
The former Iowa standout is hopeful that her back issue will not persist, as her goal is to play significantly more games than she did last season. Clark’s participation was limited to just 13 games last season due to a series of injuries.
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The Fever, holding a 3-2 record, are scheduled to tip off against the Valkyries, who have a 3-1 record, at 7:30 p.m. ET.
