Before the Indiana Fever’s Tuesday night matchup with the Atlanta Dream, head coach Stephanie White gave the much awaited update on Caitlin Clark’s injury situation.
During practice, White, who had missed the Fever’s victory over the Chicago Sky, told reporters that although Clark is getting back into the swing of things, she isn’t yet prepared for a Tuesday matchup with a formidable Dream team that nearly won their opening game of the season.
In particular, White’s remarks appeared to imply that the team will be patient with Clark while she regains her WNBA physicality.
“No, not for tomorrow. What does it mean to go live if you get back into whether they are in basketball condition? I believe that we need to work on both ends. Doing drills is one thing, but getting back on the floor and resuming the patterns and rhythm timing is quite another. So that we may observe their development, that is the part of selecting and deciding what they can be in practice. You have to gradually get back to being game-ready after both of them being out for extended periods of time.
Clark might make a comeback against Sun or Liberty.
The Atlanta game will have significant ramifications for the Commissioner’s Cup standings, and both Clark and guard Sophie Cunningham will miss it. Naturally, the Fever are more focused on surviving without Clark than on winning their remaining Cup games, but having Clark and Cunningham back would make that much more attainable.
White’s remarks about focusing on timing and rhythm before returning to the court appear to indicate that the team is more than happy to let her miss both their game against the Atlanta Hawks and maybe their game against the New York Liberty this weekend.
Restoring Clark and then throwing her in against one of the league’s top guard defenders, Natasha Cloud, is the last thing the franchise should want to do.
Clark will likely receive her first taste of WNBA play on Saturday against the struggling Connecticut Sun if the team doesn’t bring her back. Given that the Sun aren’t as tough of a defensive opponent for Clark around the perimeter, it would probably be a much more bearable return date for the Fever.
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