The Indiana Fever scored an important win over the Seattle Storm, 96-75, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Tuesday, solidifying their chances of qualifying for the playoffs as Caitlin Clark ramps up her recovery.
The Fever shot 50.7% from the field and outrebounded the Storm, 42-21, to improve to 20-18 and move to sixth place in the team standings. They also bounced back from back-to-back losses to the Minnesota Lynx.
Clark has not played since July 15 after aggravating her groin injury. It was also found out that she suffered a bone bruise in her left ankle. She, however, joined the Fever during shootaround and low-impact drills on Sunday as she continues to hike up her physical activities.
While Fever coach Stephanie White has remained optimistic about the 23-year-old guard's much-awaited return, she stressed that they need to be extra cautious.
“I want to see her in practice, live in practice. I want to see her continue to work to not just build endurance, but to be able to handle contact 94 feet as it's going to be in-game, and to be able to do that and sustain it from an endurance standpoint, and that's going to take multiple practices to make sure that there's no regression,” said White in a report from Indianapolis Star's Chloe Peterson.
“As most of us know, when we get fatigued, we look different, and see how she plays through fatigue.”
Clark, who also suffered a quad injury early in the season, has been limited to just 13 games. She's averaging 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 8.8 assists, and 1.6 steals.
Peterson noted that “practice opportunities are running low” for the two-time All-Star since the Fever have been prioritizing rest as the regular season comes to a close.
The Fever have been up and down without Clark, who helped the team reach the playoffs last year, breaking a seven-year drought. Her shotmaking, vision, and playmaking have been sorely missed, with Indiana going just 4-6 in their last 10 games.
To compound their woes, the Fever also lost Sophie Cunningham, Aari Macdonald, and Sydney Colson to season-ending injuries.
