The Indiana Fever, of the WNBA, finds itself in a chaotic time after its star, Caitlin Clark, suffered a quadriceps strain. The injury has left the team looking for someone to take control of the team, especially in the backcourt.
Clark’s injury is her first in her WNBA career, and she was given a two-week recovery timeline with a possible extension.
Before injury, Clark was averaging about 19 points per game and was named the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year. During the 2024 season, Clark had 769 points and led the league in assists, setting a record with 337 assists in a single season.
The game after Clark got hurt, the Fever lost two more key players. Sophie Cunningham and Sydney Colson got injured during their game against the Sun on May 30, which was four days after Clark’s injury.
Before being injured, Cunningham had to switch her role from shooting guard to point guard to step into Clark’s role. Colson also had to switch from a guard to a point guard in Clark’s absence.
The Fever was on a three-game losing streak and had fewer than 10 eligible players on the roster after Cunningham and Colson got hurt. The coaching staff has decided to make a move and bring in Aari McDonald through the emergency hardship exception.
McDonald is a player that Head Coach Stephaine White sees stepping right into Clark’s position and succeeding, given her past college career. McDonald was named Pac-12 Player of the Year in her senior year and is known for her decision-making and defensive abilities.
White, in post-game interviews, has talked about how Clark’s absence is really affecting the team and is changing the way they play.
The Fever’s record before the injuries was 2-2, with an average of about 85.8 points per game.
A significant increase in fan attendance and viewership had occurred when Clark joined the team last year, compared to the pre-Clark era, when they had the second-lowest home attendance in the WNBA. But with Clark’s injury, there has been a decrease of about 50 percent or more in viewership of games.
The Fever’s current record is 3-4. The team lost its first two games without Clark, but defeated the Mystics on Tuesday.
The team’s scoring has remained fairly constant, at 85.3 points per game. The team is currently ranked seventh overall after dropping from third in the WNBA overall standings before Clark’s injury.
If she recovers as expected, the Fever will end up losing Clark for about 10 percent of their season, which will still give them time to catch up in the standings and have a good run for the playoffs.
