INDIANAPOLIS — Another game, another step in the right direction for Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark as she navigates a nagging back injury.
Less than 24 hours after dropping a franchise-record 45 points in a dramatic win over the Seattle Storm, Clark played her second game in as many nights for the first time since June of her rookie season (2024), netting 17 points and seven assists in 26 minutes against the New York Liberty.
Clark “seemed to be feeling pretty good,” Fever coach Stephanie White said following the 108-88 win, though they’ll have a better idea of her condition when she wakes up Sunday morning.
Though neither as prolific nor as efficient as Friday’s outing — that would have been difficult to duplicate even if she were 100% — Clark remained effective. She totaled five assists through the first three quarters, then found her shooting stroke in the fourth, going 3-for-3 from the field with a couple 3-pointers, plus two more assists and a plus-5 rating.
“There were times when Caitlin looked like she was a little off-balance, but nothing that I thought was concerning,” White said of Clark, who finished with even assist-to-turnover ratio (7:7). “She played heavy minutes and did a really good job of taking what they gave her. Her facilitating was outstanding. She wasn’t making the same kind of shots as she was making yesterday, but I think that’s to be expected on a back-to-back for the first time in a couple seasons.”
Clark, who has missed five games this season, confirmed pregame that she remains on a minutes restriction, but said it isn’t a “hard cap.” She woke up Saturday feeling “probably as good” as she could have and was confident she could play extended fourth-quarter minutes if the game were close down the stretch, same as she did against the Storm (playing the final 9:34 of regulation).
That was not necessary against the Liberty, however, with the Fever out-scoring their opponent 30-12 in the third quarter to take a 14-point advantage into the fourth.
Clark, who did not speak to the media after the game, helped push the lead to as many as 25 over those final 10 minutes and was able to check out for good with 3:33 remaining.
Asked pregame how they manage the balance between Clark’s long-term health with trying to win basketball games, White said it largely comes down to communication with Clark and the medical staff.
“How’s she moving? What does she look like? I think everybody who watched her Friday, she had that bounce, she had that burst, she had all of those things,” White continued. “Some of it’s subjective, of course. Some of it is metrics and numbers — sports science stuff that’s way over my head. And a lot of it is how she’s feeling.”
It is to be determined if Clark will be on a minutes restriction when the Fever close out the four-game homestand Wednesday against the Connecticut Sun.
Clark picks up sixth tech
Clark picked up her sixth technical foul of the season 90 seconds into Saturday’s game. She wanted a foul called after running into a Jonquel Jones screen, and used a few choice words when expressing that sentiment to the official, who quickly T’d her up.
White did not ask for further explanation on the call, saying: “I think there was a reaction, probably, after a call or no-call.”
Clark will be fined $1,000 from the league for the tech, and it puts her at risk of a one-game suspension if she gets two more in the final 18 games of the regular season.
Quipped White: “We have to make sure we’re strategic in using our technical fouls.”
Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen. 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 plays in 1st back-to-back games since rookie year; minutes restriction TBD
Reporting by Brian Haenchen, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Brian Haenchen, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
