Caitlin Clark shares initial information on her quad injury and possible return schedule.

Indianapolis –

Caitlyn Clark spoke to the media following Thursday’s practice, after being sidelined for a week and a half due to a quadriceps injury.

Clark mentioned she has “made a lot of progress” and had a reassessment over the weekend, aligning with the two-week recovery period initially outlined by the Fever.

“I’ll be reevaluated this weekend,” she said. “I’ll miss this weekend’s game, but after that, it’s day by day with the medical team. I feel better.”

The injury happened early in the match against Indiana State. While she wasn’t able to pinpoint the exact moment it occurred, she confirmed it was early in the game.

“Adrenaline kicks in during the heat of the game, and you notice the pain afterward. The MRI showed a lot, and the results were more than I wanted to see,” Clark reflected. “But you know, these things don’t lie.”

The Fever has a game scheduled for Tuesday, but that will depend on her reevaluation. When asked if she’d be ready to play, she couldn’t give a firm commitment.

“We’re trying to avoid putting a specific timeline on how I feel day to day,” Clark explained. “You never know with injuries like this. I wake up feeling different from the previous day. We’ll see.”

This is the first time Clark has missed games not only professionally but also during her college years. It presents a new challenge for the second-year player, who has been cheering on her teammates from the sidelines and discussing strategies.

“I think this experience is different for me,” she said. “Having the right perspective helps a lot. Sure, it’s easy to feel frustrated, but the medical team has been great, working with me daily to rehabilitate and provide support.”

“More than anything, I’m focused on being a good teammate—supporting them and being vocal, even though I’m not on the court.”

In line with that, Clark has been sitting with the coaching staff during games, which lets her continue learning even from the bench, as she noted on Thursday.

“When you’re actually in the game, you miss seeing everything clearly. Watching from the sidelines gives you a different perspective that the coaches might not see,” she stated. “I’m trying to be as involved as I can, whether it’s during halftime or outside practice hours.”

“It was a valuable lesson. I’ve never experienced being on the bench for this long before.”

Without her, the Fever had a tough time, going 1-2 during her absence, with players like Sidney Colson and Sophie Cunningham stepping in. It has been a challenging period for the entire team, as they had high hopes for the season but had to hit pause for now.

Clark joked about her struggles with patience while being sidelined, but she also sees it as a chance to learn.

“This has definitely tested my patience, something I’ve never been good at,” she admitted. “I’m trying to handle it as best as I can. I can’t change the situation, but my patience has definitely grown. I’m just focusing on learning and growing throughout this process.”