Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark revealed the extent of a lower-body Caitlin Clark injury that ended her season, stating she is now feeling her best and will skip the Unrivaled league.
During a Thursday exit interview, the 23-year-old provided a Caitlin Clark health update. “I’ve been working really hard to get back to full health and I feel like, probably, over these last couple of weeks is when I’ve probably started feeling my best,” Clark said.
Details of the Caitlin Clark Injury
The Caitlin Clark sophomore season injuries included multiple setbacks that limited her to just 13 games. She dealt with a left groin and quad injury, a right groin injury before the All-Star break, and ultimately a bone bruise in her left ankle in early August.
Clark described the final injury as “one of the worst sprains I’ve dealt with.” She explained how the ankle issue complicated her recovery from the other ailments, stating, “My ankle didn’t allow me to really see where my groin was at.“
Lessons Learned from the Sidelines
Despite the difficulties, Clark said the experience taught her about leadership and being a good teammate. “When you’re on the sidelines and you don’t have a jersey on, you can observe and really watch people and learn about people,” she commented.
She acknowledged that “there (were) certainly some hard days” during her rehabilitation. In early September, Clark announced she would not return for the remainder of the season, a period she described as “more work than when you’re playing.“
Indiana Fever WNBA Semifinals Push
Despite missing Clark and other key players like Sophie Cunningham, the Indiana Fever made a deep playoff run. The team pushed the Las Vegas Aces to a decisive Game 5 in the WNBA semifinals before being eliminated on Tuesday.
This season, Clark averaged 16.5 points, 8.8 assists, and 5 rebounds in 31.1 minutes per game before her injuries sidelined her.
Skipping Caitlin Clark Unrivaled League
Looking ahead to the offseason, Clark confirmed she will focus on her recovery. She will not participate in the upcoming season of the Caitlin Clark Unrivaled league, a 3×3 women’s basketball tournament.
This marks the second year she has opted out to rest.
