Caitlin Clark’s return sets stage for her biggest WNBA test yet

Caitlin Clark is back after missing five games with a quad injury — and her return is coming at the exact right time. On Saturday, Clark will return to the Fever lineup as Indiana takes on the undefeated New York Liberty in a pivotal WNBA Commissioner's Cup matchup.

Without Clark, the Fever still have enough talent to not get blown off the floor every night. But with Clark, they might stand a chance against the 9-0 New York Liberty. Might. No matter what, getting Clark back for one of the most notable games of her early career is a beautiful sight for Indiana. The Basketball State can't lose right now.

Caitlin Clark and Fever look to spring upset on undefeated Liberty

A win on Saturday would go a long way for Indiana; it would prove that the Fever can hang with the WNBA's elite teams and that Clark is on track to be a singular superstar in the league. It would also vault them to first place in the Eastern Conference Commissioner's Cup standings while giving them an all-important tiebreak over the Liberty.

As it stands, the Liberty are 3-0 in Cup play, and the Fever are 2-1. Indiana did a commendable job staying afloat and winning two Cup games without Clark, but New York is a different beast.

A win over New York wouldn't guarantee the Fever a spot in the Cup Finals (which is played by the team in each conference that finished round-robin play with the best record), though. Indiana's one Cup loss was to Atlanta, meaning the Dream have the tiebreaker over Indiana, while also just having one loss.

Clark's return sets up perhaps the biggest test she's faced in the W so far. This Liberty team is one of the best squads ever assembled — and even that might be underselling it.

What was Indiana's record without Caitlin Clark?

It wasn't a full-on disaster without Clark in the lineup, as Indiana went 2-3, but any more time without Clark on the floor would have pushed the Fever even further down the standings.