Last season felt like a bridge for the Indiana Fever. A .500 record was the team's best in nearly a decade, and Caitlin Clark was a clear superstar in the making. The thought was that, in 2025, the team would fly even higher behind Clark and running mate Aliyah Boston.
Through about a month and a half, that hasn't come to fruition. Boston has been good and Clark has had a few spectacular games, but injuries have already plagued her season and through about one-third of the season, Indiana isn't in a playoff spot if the season ended today.
The bright side? The season doesn't end today — and the Fever are just a half-game back of the No. 6 seed. So the sky isn't falling in Indiana, but Clark's groin injury might be a little more serious than it originally seemed, and even with Clark on the court, Indiana has been good, but not great.
Is Caitlin Clark playing on Friday versus Dallas?
Fans will have to wait for the CC vs. Paige Bueckers showdown, as Indiana's superstar will miss this game with a groin injury. Groin injuries are no joke and notorious for lingering, so the team should obviously play it safe with Clark.
Status Report for tonight’s game against Dallas:
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) June 27, 2025
Caitlin Clark – Out (left groin) pic.twitter.com/hjlMQBM0KL
Fever are a good team with Clark
But a "good team" isn't what fans expected in year two for Clark. Indiana is 5-4 with Clark on the floor, and can clearly compete with anyone (a win against the Liberty remains the high point of the season) but they haven't been consistently good enough to convinve anyone that they're a real contender for a title.
Clark has struggled in her past three games — granted, her missing another game with injury makes me think she definitely wasn't playing at 100 percent.
Should Fever fans panic after slow start, Clark injury?
Worry? Sure. Panic? Not quite yet. It's a disappointing start to a season fans had high hopes for, but we could forget this sluggish start in August if Clark looks healthy and the Fever rattle off 8 wins in a row — something that, when at full strength, they're probably still capable of doing.