
Fever coach says Caitlin Clark's All-Star game appearance up in the air as team focuses on 'long-term' health
Fever head coach Stephanie White told reporters in a pregame news conference there has not been any talk about Clark's availability for All-Star weekend, which will be hosted by the Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse beginning Friday.
Clark is due to compete in the 3-point contest Friday and serve as a captain in Saturday's All-Star Game.
"No discussion yet about this weekend," White said. "There was imaging done, and, obviously, we're ruling her out for tonight, but there hasn't been any discussion beyond tonight."
Clark sustained a groin injury late in the fourth quarter of Indiana's win over the Connecticut Sun in Boston Tuesday night. White said she did not believe it was a "reinjury." Clark missed time in May due to a quad injury and was recently sidelined for five games with a left groin strain.
"I'm not really sure that it's a reinjury as much as a different kind of injury. I know oftentimes when you're working with injuries in the groin and the quad and the hamstring and all of those things, there's just — they're all kind of tied together, and it's not always just one thing."
White added that a "slow" approach to getting Clark back on the court has always been the priority for both the success of the team and Clark "long term."
"The big picture is the most important — for her health and wellness, long term and for our team. And we've been very slow in making sure that every time she comes back that she's ready. So, we'll continue to approach it like that. I mean, long term is the most important."
White called the latest update on Clark's injury "day-to-day," adding she sees that as good news.
"You'd have to ask the athletic training staff. I mean, I consider it good news just because, for me, it's anything that we're talking about still day-to-day, is always good news for me. So, but that's the layman's viewpoint."
Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


NBC Sports
an hour ago
- NBC Sports
Aces face critical stretch to keep championship window open amid uneven season
HENDERSON, Nev. — From management to coach Becky Hammon to the players, the Las Vegas Aces say they remain a championship team despite what has been, at best, an uneven season. The Aces must keep their championship window open or major changes could come during what is expected to be a chaotic offseason given the number of pending free agents in Las Vegas and throughout the WNBA. 'I think as we look at big-picture decisions for the Aces, this stretch is very important,' team president Nikki Fargas said. 'It's where championship habits are going to be solidified, and there's a lot of great talent that's going to be available. Are you wanting to be a part of a championship legacy? We've found that that's been a great opportunity for us to talk about that in free agency previously.' The Aces, who in 2023 became the first WNBA team to repeat in 21 years, have been one of the league's model franchises in recent seasons. They were on the short list of favorites to contend for another championship this season, but are in a fight just to secure a playoff spot. They are 13-13, which puts them seventh in the standings. The top eight teams qualify for the postseason, and the Aces are for intents and purposes in playoff mode now because the fifth through 10th teams were separated by 3 1/2 games. 'We're just trying to string together some wins,' guard Jackie Young said. 'We know every game's important. We're trying to go out there and build off of the past games, learn from our mistakes.' Falling short of the playoffs or getting bounced early could lead to major offseason changes that could be coming anyway given the number of free agents. Only Aaliyah Nye is under contract beyond this season, according to Spotrac. That's largely the case around the league as well because the collective bargaining agreement ends after this season. Players timed their contracts to take advantage of what should be a much more lucrative CBA because of an 11-year media rights deal valued at more than $2.2 billion. 'I think next year's free agency is like the wild, wild West,' Hammon said. 'There's going to be people we're obviously trying to keep their services here in Vegas, and then there are others we're going to try to bring some people in. So I just think it's about finishing the season well, keeping our culture and our character intact through the rest of the (18) games so we make this a destination that people want to come and play with and be competitive at.' Hammon quickly made the point she's not the general manager, and the Aces remain without a GM since Natalie Williams was dismissed in October. The organization chose to not fill that position, with Fargas working with Tonya Holley, vice president of basketball operations, on personnel decisions with input from Hammon. This is an organization that has built through the draft — A'ja Wilson, Young and former Aces star Kelsey Plum were all No. 1 overall picks — but also hasn't been afraid to be aggressive in free agency or trades. Point guard Chelsea Gray signed as a free agent in 2021 and a year later was named WNBA Finals MVP when Las Vegas beat Connecticut in four games for its first championship. The Aces added two-time MVP Candace Parker in 2023, but she played just 18 games before a season-ending foot injury. She retired last year. They made their most audacious move this January, sending Plum to Los Angeles in a three-team trade that brought Jewell Loyd from Seattle. The move hasn't quite worked out the way the Aces envisioned, with Plum averaging 20.1 points and 5.9 assists while Loyd has scored 10.8 points per game. That's her lowest scoring average since putting up 10.7 as a rookie in 2015. But perhaps Loyd more closely will resemble the player who was a six-time All-Star with the Storm, who just last season averaged 19.7 points. She came off the bench — at her request — in Sunday's 106-80 victory at Dallas and scored 20 points. A resurgence by her and the expected addition of Cheyenne Parker-Tyus could be major boosts entering the postseason. Parker-Tyus, who signed as a free agent, is on maternity leave and her Aces debut is yet to be determined. Fargas said she was bullish on the Aces making another title run, pointing out the number of top players on the roster with championship experience, including Wilson and her three MVP trophies. 'Any time you have the best player in the world on your team, you will always have a shot,' Fargas said. If the Aces do have another such run in them, they will do so in the unusual role as underdogs. Hammon said she didn't care what those outside of the organization thought of her team. But Gray wants the target back on the Aces. That would mean they again are playing at a high level. 'You want to be playing your best basketball in September,' Gray said. 'That's what it's all about.'


USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
5 WNBA trades we'd love to see ahead of the 2025 deadline
The 2025 WNBA trade deadline looms on Aug. 7, and we've decided to go through the league and find some options for possible trades until that deadline. While some contenders like the New York Liberty, Indiana Fever and Seattle Storm don't make our list, teams like the Minnesota Lynx, Phoenix Mercury and Golden State Valkyries add key pieces ahead of this year's deadline. Our major disclaimer: WNBA trades are harder to pull off than NBA trades, particularly with the looming CBA. This might lead to this being a quiet trade deadline, but we're going to do some imagining anyhow. This all might just be moot, but we'll have some fun and do some hypotheticals for the heck of it. Wings G Arike Ogunbowale to the Lynx The Lynx are one of the clearest title contenders this summer, but they could use another hot hand on offense to withstand some of the best scoring teams they'll see in the playoffs. If Minnesota wants to push in all the chips, they could send a queen's ransom to Dallas to secure Ogunbowale for the rest of the season. She would instantly set the Lynx up to score in bunches from beyond the arc right away. The team could use one more guard who can score 3-pointers with ease, and it could send a good young forward in Diamond Miller and a first-round pick back to Dallas. POSSIBLE TRADE: Ogunbowale to the Wings for Miller, a 2026 third-round pick a 2027 first-round pick Mystics F Aaliyah Edwards to the Valkyries After the Valkyries lost forward Kayla Thornton for the season, the team now has a clear need at forward. Edwards could settle into a more long-term role in Golden State, a team that will need young players on rookie deals with free agency looming for some of its best players in 2026. The Valkyries are starting to fade down the stretch, but adding Edwards would give the team a bit of a jolt now and a good building block for later. Forward Cecilia Zandalasini could be an intriguing fit for Washington to come off the bench and replace Edwards' minutes in the rotation. POSSIBLE TRADE: Edwards to Golden State for Zandalasinia, 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick Sky G Rachel Banham to the Dream Few teams in the WNBA love to shoot the 3-pointer like the Dream, and Banham coming off the bench for Atlanta could cement it as one of the best contenders in the league. She would be an outstanding option for a Dream team that could thrive with more options in the rotation to score from beyond the arc. Chicago needs young talent, so Dream guard Maya Caldwell and forward Taylor Thierry could get real minutes with the Sky as part of the trade. POSSIBLE TRADE: Banham to Atlanta for Caldwell, Thierry and a 2026 second-round pick Sun G Marina Mabrey to the Mercury The Mercury are trying to push for a title, and Mabrey could instantly elevate those chances. Phoenix could put together a compelling trade package for Connecticut, one featuring guard Lexi Held, forward Natasha Mack and a 2026 second-round draft pick. Phoenix could throw a 2027 pick in the mix as well to get a deal done, and Mabrey could arrive in Phoenix as a valuable depth option that can hit 3-pointers and give the team more of an edge. POSSIBLE TRADE: Mabrey to Phoenix for Held, Mack, a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick Sky G Rebecca Allen to the Mystics The Mystics could use another veteran guard coming off the bench for their playoff push, and Allen could absolutely provide that. Chicago could add a young guard in Lucy Olsen to the roster, and Washington could try Allen out for the rest of the season coming off the bench and potentially re-sign her as a free agent next offseason. A player-for-player swap makes sense here, as Olsen's overall potential matches Allen's instant and possibly long-term impact. POTENTIAL TRADE: Allen to Washington for Olsen

NBC Sports
2 hours ago
- NBC Sports
Mets at Padres prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for July 29
Its Tuesday, July 29 and the Mets (62-45) are in San Diego to take on the Padres (58-49). Sean Manaea is slated to take the mound for New York against Yu Darvish for San Diego. The Mets' seven-game win streak was snapped last night in the opening game of this series. Elias Diaz drove in the winning run with two outs in the ninth inning for the Padres. Mark Vientos drove in four runs for New York in the loss. Lets dive into Game 2 of the series and find a sweat or two. We've got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch, odds, the first pitch, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts. Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long. Game details & how to watch Mets at Padres Date: Tuesday, July 29, 2025 Time: 9:40PM EST Site: Petco Park City: San Diego, CA Network/Streaming: SNY, SDPA, MLBN Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out. Odds for the Mets at the Padres The latest odds as of Tuesday: Moneyline: Mets (-121), Padres (+101) Spread: Mets -1.5 Total: 8.0 runs Probable starting pitchers for Mets at Padres Pitching matchup for July 29, 2025: Sean Manaea vs. Yu Darvish Mets: Sean Manaea (1-1, 2.19 ERA) Last outing: July 23 vs. Angels - 1.80 ERA, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 2 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 5 StrikeoutsPadres: Yu Darvish (0-3, 9.18 ERA) Last outing: July 24 at St. Louis - 21.60 ERA, 8 Earned Runs Allowed, 8 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 3 Strikeouts Mets: Sean Manaea (1-1, 2.19 ERA) Last outing: July 23 vs. Angels - 1.80 ERA, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 2 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 5 Strikeouts Padres: Yu Darvish (0-3, 9.18 ERA) Last outing: July 24 at St. Louis - 21.60 ERA, 8 Earned Runs Allowed, 8 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 3 Strikeouts Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type! Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Mets at Padres Yu Darvish has not struck out more than three hitters in any of his last three starts Padres' pitcher Yu Darvish has an ERA of 9.44 and a WHIP of 1.66 The Padres have failed to cover the Run Line in six of their last seven games against the Mets Mark Vientos is enjoying a 7-game hitting streak (8-24) If you're looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports! Expert picks & predictions for tonight's game between the Mets and the Padres Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700. Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts. Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager. Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday's game between the Mets and the Padres: Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the New York Mets on the Moneyline. Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the San Diego Padres at +1.5. Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0. Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff: Jay Croucher (@croucherJD) Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)