Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, will not be available for tonight’s home game against the Los Angeles Sparks.
Clark has been dealing with back issues the entire season; she missed Indiana’s game against Portland on May 20 because of her back, then she was listed as probable (back) for the next 13 games after the Fever were warned by the WNBA for improper injury reporting.
Saturday night will be the second game she missed this season due to a back injury, coach Stephanie White announced at practice Friday, though said “she’s OK.”
Clark left Wednesday’s game with 5:15 left in the third quarter, went to the locker room, and did not return against the Phoenix Mercury. White did not say what specifically prompted Clark to leave the game, but she did look to tweak her back after landing on a defender’s foot in the second quarter. She fell to the ground after that foul, which was not upgraded, and grabbed at her back before gingerly walking to the bench. She still stayed in the game directly after, shooting her free throws.
Just before that foul, she also got a fist to the throat from Alyssa Thomas in a skirmish for the ball — one that Thomas was later given a Flagrant 2 by the WNBA and suspended for one game.
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When did Caitlin Clark get injured?
During the Fever’s loss on Wednesday, Clark seemed to suffer two apparent back injuries within less than a minute of each other.
6:52 left in 2Q: Clark drove into the lane, and fell to the floor after contact as multiple players scrambled for the ball.
6:25 left in 2Q: As she rose for a three-point attempt, Clark was fouled and landed on the shoe of a Mercury player.
Clark stayed on the floor for some time, but left the contest with over five minutes remaining in the third quarter; she did not return.
Caitlin Clark career stats
How much does Caitlin Clark make? Caitlin Clark salary, contract
Clark’s WNBA salary cap hit for 2026 is $528,846, according to Spotrac. The Fever hold an option for $597,596 in 2027. She will be a restricted free agent in 2028.
In 2025, under the previous collective bargaining agreement, she made $78,066.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Is Caitlin Clark playing tonight for Indiana Fever vs Los Angeles Sparks? The latest
Reporting by Cameron Cocquyt and Chloe Peterson, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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By Cameron Cocquyt and Chloe Peterson, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
