INDIANAPOLIS — Caitlin Clark has been ruled out of Indiana’s game against the Portland Fire with a back injury, the Fever said an hour, 40 minutes before the game on Wednesday.
She was not listed on WNBA-mandated injury reports from 5 p.m. Tuesday to 5:15 p.m. Wednesday. She was listed on the report released at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Clark did not practice Tuesday, Fever coach Stephanie White said pregame, getting treatment and a workout in instead. In the portion of practice open to reporters, Clark was at practice in the beginning, but did not participate in warmups or the first drills of the day.
White added that they finalized Clark would not be able to play until around 5 p.m. Wednesday.
“She just woke up with some stiffness and some soreness,” White said. “We like to see, like I always say, how do you respond after a workout. For us, it’s not the time to take a chance. We just really want to be cautious.”
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White said she didn’t anticipate Clark’s back issues to be an ongoing thing, but added “I’m not a doctor.”
“She’s healthy, we’re not managing anything,” White said. “This is just a back issue that we want to make sure we give the time to be ready.”
Clark has been taking steps throughout the beginning of the season to manage her back, including wearing a heat pad while on the bench and getting adjustments mid-game in the Fever’s tunnel. Following the season opener, when she first left the bench for the adjustments, Clark said her back “gets out of line pretty quickly.”
White emphasized earlier this season that with an expanded medical staff this season, both Clark and other players will regularly get adjustments mid-game, and it will become a normal part of the Fever’s process.
This will be Clark’s first missed game of the season. She only played 13 games in 2025 because of a myriad of injuries, including to her left quad, left groin, right groin, and ankle.
Clark was averaging a career highs of 24.3 points and 9 assists while also grabbing 5 rebounds through the first four games this season.
This story was updated with new information.
Chloe Peterson is the Indiana Fever beat reporter for IndyStar. Reach her at chloe.peterson@indystar.com or follow her on X at @chloepeterson67. Get IndyStar’s Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter. Subscribe to IndyStar TV: Fever for in-depth analysis, behind-the-scenes coverage and more.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Caitlin Clark a late scratch with ‘just a back injury’ as Fever host Fire. What coach said
Reporting by Chloe Peterson, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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