The Indiana Fever are sitting at No. 5 in the WNBA standings with a 17-12 record right now. They are looking like a playoff team, but could be fighting to keep their spot against some other promising teams. They are currently competing without their star guard, Caitlin Clark, who has been battling injuries all season.
Of the Fever's 29 games, Clark has only made an appearance in 9 of them. She's had multiple multi-game stints where she was unavailable due to injury. But the stats she has put up when she's been on the court are impressive. Clark averages 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game this season.
When she was most recently injured right before the All-Star break, it left fans nervous, as the WNBA season was about halfway over and teams were vying for playoff spots. But this Clark-less Fever team has gone 5-2, winning the last five straight. Obviously, Clark and the whole team wish she were available — especially tonight as they gear up to play Los Angeles, a team they have lost to twice this season. But, for right now, it seems like the Fever are finding their groove without Clark.
Is Caitlin Clark playing tonight?
Unfortunately, Caitlin Clark will be unavailable again tonight as the Indiana Fever take on the Los Angeles Sparks. Clark was injured most recently during a game against the Connecticut Sun in mid-July. She left the game looking uncomfortable, holding her right groin. Since then, there have not been many updates on the status of Clark's injury.
Just yesterday, on ESPN, Indiana head coach Stephanie White discussed Clark's injury. She said, "It's day-to-day right now. We're really just putting no timetable on it, going through the rehab process, and then we want to reintegrate her..." This approach makes the most sense given the way the Fever are performing right now. There is seemingly no reason to risk Clark reinjuring herself - especially as this team expects to be in the playoffs in just a couple of months.
They have combated Clark's injury well by signing some new weapons as well. One being Chloe Bibby, a rookie who was let go by the Golden State Valkyries early in the season. She is playing light minutes, but recorded 10 points in only 13 minutes for the Fever against the Mercury last week.
The Los Angeles Sparks are currently sitting at No. 10 in the W rankings - so, some might think the game tonight should be simple for the Fever. But, that might not be the case. The Sparks have won 6 of their last 7 games - including a double-OT thriller against Seattle most recently. They have also beaten the Fever in both of their previous meetings this season.
The Sparks just got Cameron Brink back in their already healthy line-up. She is on a minute restriction, but could still cause some problems for the Fever. Both teams are looking to add to the hot streaks they have started recently, which should make for an intriguing match-up.