INDIANAPOLIS — Caitlin Clark exited the Indiana Fever’s game against Phoenix on Wednesday night, leaving behind a tight contest that ended in a 111-109 loss, due to a back injury.
The All-Star guard has been dealing with back issues throughout the season. During the game, with 5 minutes and 15 seconds remaining in the third quarter, she went back to the locker room and didn’t come back out.
Earlier, she had been making an impact, especially in the second quarter when she was fouled while shooting a 3-pointer. After hitting the floor, she got up while rubbing her back. Back in the first quarter, she also had to head to the tunnel briefly, returning to the bench with a wrap around her back.
Clark managed to score 19 points and dish out eight assists in just 20 minutes of play.
The two teams had faced off just two nights prior, leading to a heated game that featured six technical fouls and one ejection. Clark received her fifth technical during that match, and her team is currently seeking to have it overturned. The physicality carried over into the Wednesday night match as well; during one play in the second quarter, a video showed Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas striking Clark in the neck as she fell during a drive while both teams scrambled for a loose ball.
No foul was called in that moment, though the league might still review it as a serious violation.
“It was terrible. The fact that there was no call… it was really frustrating,” Fever coach Stephanie White expressed. “We came here aware of the events from Monday, and yet, this kind of thing is still happening? Absolutely unacceptable.”
This season, Clark has appeared on the injury report multiple times after previously missing a game due to the back issue. Interestingly, the Fever did not specify an injury status for that game, earning a warning from the league for the oversight.
As for her current standing, Clark ranks second in the All-Star fan voting, trailing only her teammate Aliyah Boston.
