The Indiana Fever have fought through injuries all season long. Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell have put up superstar numbers in order to keep Indiana in the playoff race, but being without its stars has hurt. Sophie Cunningham's season ended thanks to a foot injury, leaving Caitlin Clark as the Fever's last hope. Unfortunately, her return will have to wait until 2026.
Clark has missed the majority of her second professional season with a groin injury. The Fever have done everything they can to give her the best chance to return. However, her condition has not improved enough. Clark pulled the plug on her season on Thursday night, posting a message to her social media page. In it, she told her fans that she is officially out for the season.
“I had hoped to share a better update, but I will not be returning to play this season,” Clark said. “I spent hours in the gym every day with the singular goal of getting back out there, disappointed isn’t a big enough word to describe how I am feeling. I want to thank everyone who had my back through all the uncertainty. This has been incredibly frustrating, but even in the bad, there is good. The way the fans continued to show up for me, and for the Fever, brought me so much joy and important perspective. I am so proud of how this team has only gotten stronger through adversity this year. Now it’s time to close out the season and claim our spot in the Playoffs.”
Indiana's general manager, Amber Cox, also shared her thoughts on Clark's injury. According to Fever beat reporter Scott Agness, the All-Star guard has done everything she could to come back.
“Caitlin has worked so hard throughout this time, doing everything possible to recover and return to the court but, ultimately, time is not on our side,” Cox said. “While we will continue working with Caitlin and provide her with every resource we have available, there is not enough time left in our season for her to safely return, and her long-term health and well-being remains our top priority. We are looking forward to having her back at full strength to start the 2026 season.”
Unfortunately, the Fever's success this season will have to come without their All-WNBA guard.
