LOS ANGELES — Aliyah Boston, who was questionable with a right lower leg injury, will not play on Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Sparks, Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White said at shootaround.
Caitlin Clark, who was probable with a back injury, will play. The game against Los Angeles is the first of a travel back-to-back, and the two will “flip flop,” White said, for Thursday’s game against Phoenix — Boston will be available, Clark will be out.
Boston popped up on the injury report Tuesday afternoon following the Fever’s practice. She has been managing a right lower leg injury since February, when she first got injured in Unrivaled. She missed the Unrivaled playoffs, the FIBA World Cup qualifiers in March, and the Fever’s first two preseason games as she recovered. She also missed Indiana’s regular-season game against Seattle on May 17.
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Clark has been working through back issues all season, as well. She missed the Fever’s game against Portland on May 20 and has mostly been listed as probable (back) since then. She has missed the Fever’s last two games and left their game June 24 against Phoenix in the third quarter after two hard fouls in the second; she got up rubbing her back after a landing space foul that wasn’t upgraded, and Alyssa Thomas put a fist to her throat in a skirmish that was not called at all on the floor.
Now, with lingering injuries to their star players, the Fever coaching staff and medical team are doing their best to manage them for long-term health.
“I’m really thankful for our medical staff who will stay on top of it and who will communicate with us what’s in the best long-term interest of our players,” White said. “Not just short-term, in the game-to-game, but what’s in the best long-term interest in a season and in their career. I’m thankful for our medical team to stay on top of that, they hold us accountable to making sure that we stay within whatever our restrictions are … we understand that we have to be able to manage and get the most out of our players and our team.”
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: Is Caitlin Clark playing tonight? 1 Indiana Fever starter out vs Sparks, another out vs Mercury
Reporting by Chloe Peterson, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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By Chloe Peterson, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
