Caitlin Clark to miss second straight game, won't play vs. Dallas Wings, Paige Bueckers
DALLAS – Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark will miss her second straight game with a left groin strain. Clark was listed as out for Friday night's game against the Dallas Wings, per a Fever team release at 2 p.m.
Friday's highly anticipated game would have pitted Clark, the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, against former UConn star Paige Bueckers, picked No. 1 overall last April. The stars played twice in college — a Huskies win in the 2023 Sweet 16 and a Hawkeyes win in the 2024 Final Four.
The Wings moved Friday's game from their usual College Park Center (capacity 7,000) to American Airlines Center (capacity 20,000). The sellout will set a franchise attendance record, as well as a record for any WNBA game played in Texas.
Former Fever forrward NaLyssa Smith, now with the Wings, said after shootaround she expected Friday's game atmosphere was "going to be insane." Instead, it will be a disappointment for many who hoped to watch the two young stars clash again.
Clark missed her sixth game of the season Thursday — an 85-75 home loss to the Los Angeles Sparks. She was ruled out early in the day.
Clark did not play between May 24 and June 14, missing five games with a left quad strain. They were the first games she missed either at Iowa or with the Fever.
For the Wings, DiJonai Carrington and Heritage Christian grad Tyasha Harris were listed out with injuries. Former Fever center Teaira McCowan is out with national team obligations.
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Indianapolis Star
an hour ago
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Caitlin Clark remains 'day to day' as Indiana Fever prioritize big picture on star's health
DALLAS – Caitlin Clark remains "day to day," according to Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White, who said all decisions right now are based on the guard's long-term health. White said the decision came Friday morning that Clark would miss her second straight game due to a left groin injury. She said her priority is preventing any sort of a setback once Clark does return. "Anybody who's had some of these types of injuries understands that sometimes it's a process," White said prior to Friday's game. "She's a quick healer, and she's been doing everything she can to get back on the floor. We just want to make sure we're hyper-sensitive to the big picture." After Friday's game, the Fever next play Tuesday against the Minnesota Lynx in the Commissioner's Cup Championship in Minneapolis. Then they return home to play the Las Vegas Aces on Thursday, kicking off a stretch of five home games in 11 days. Clark, per standard procedure for players with an "out" status, was not available for interviews Friday. Aari McDonald will start in Clark's place Friday, with Sydney Colson coming off the bench. White said she hopes McDonald's downhill dynamic and defensive energy can help the Fever get off to a better start. The Fever announced Clark's unavailable status around 2 p.m. Clark also missed Thursday's home loss to the Los Angeles Sparks, having been ruled out early in the day. Earlier this season, she missed five consecutive games with a left quad strain. These are the first games missed due to injury for Clark in either her collegiate or pro career. For a Fever team expected to contend for a deep playoff run, the priority becomes limiting her absences and helping her back to full strength. The guard did not appear to be the latter during a recent western road trip. She made 1 of 23 from 3-point range in losses to Golden State and Las Vegas and a victory over Seattle. Similarly, she went 2-for-16 from 3 in the two games prior to her first injury absence. Friday's game was moved from the Wings' usual home at College Park Center, capacity 7,000, to the 20,000-seat American Airlines Center. White said she felt no pressure related to Clark's status as a major gate attraction on the road. "I'm sorry for the people who are coming," White said. "I think I feel a disappointment for them, more than anything, because I want them to see her at her best and us at her best. "I hate that for fans, but at the same time, for us as a team and for Caitlin as a person and player, her health and wellness is the priority."
Yahoo
an hour ago
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Caitlin Clark injury update: Fever star out vs. Wings, misses second straight game
Editor's note: USA TODAY Sports will have live coverage of the game between the Indiana Fever and Dallas Wings. Click here to follow all the action. Caitlin Clark continues to battle the injury bug. Advertisement Clark, the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year, was ruled out of the Indiana Fever's game against the Dallas Wings on Friday, June 27, due to a left groin injury. It marks Clark's second consecutive game missed with a groin injury and her seventh missed game of the season after a quad injury sidelined her for five games earlier this month. The Fever (7-8) currently sit in ninth place in the WNBA standings heading into Friday's road matchup against the Wings, which marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Fever. Indiana has gone 2-4 without Clark. Head coach Stephanie White said she learned of Clark's groin injury late Wednesday night. She said Clark remains "day-to-day," adding Clark's availability depends on "her rehab, therapy and strength training." "She's tough and a quick healer, so we'll see," White added on Thursday. Advertisement The Fever are looking to bounce back from a loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday, June 27. Indiana had a 10-point lead over Los Angeles with 9:26 remaining in the contest, but the Fever had a fourth-quarter meltdown and were outscored 35-17 in the final period. The Sparks went on to win 85-75 to move to 5-11 on the season. "With the injuries particularly, you can't maintain a consistent rotation," White said following the loss to the Sparks. "When you have a such a ball dominant player like Caitlin, who makes everyones job a lot easier, out of the game, then you've got to find ways to try to position them to get some easy ones. ... We don't run quite as much with Caitlin off the floor, but we still need to." Clark suffered a quad injury during the Fever's 90-88 loss to the New York Liberty on May 24. Clark returned to the Fever's lineup on June 14 in the Fever's 102-88 win over the Liberty after missing five games, which officially ended her longest stretch of missed due to injury in her collegiate or WNBA career. She dropped 32 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in her first game back. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Caitlin Clark injury update: Fever star out vs Wings with groin injury
Yahoo
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Caitlin Clark injury update: Fever star ruled out vs. Wings, Paige Bueckers
Editor's note: USA TODAY Sports will have live coverage of the game between the Indiana Fever and Dallas Wings. Click here to follow all the action. Caitlin Clark continues to battle the injury bug. Advertisement Clark, the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year, was ruled out of the Indiana Fever's game against the Dallas Wings on Friday, June 27, due to a left groin injury, putting a dent in the anticipated matchup against Paige Bueckers, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft. It marks Clark's second consecutive game missed with a groin injury and her seventh missed game of the season after a quad injury sidelined her for five games earlier this month. The Fever (7-8) currently sit in ninth place in the WNBA standings heading into Friday's road matchup against the Wings, which marks the second game of a back-to-back for the Fever. Indiana has gone 2-4 without Clark. Head coach Stephanie White said she learned of Clark's groin injury late Wednesday night. She said Clark remains "day-to-day," adding Clark's availability depends on "her rehab, therapy and strength training." Advertisement "She's tough and a quick healer, so we'll see," White added on Thursday. The Fever are looking to bounce back from a loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday, June 27. Indiana had a 10-point lead over Los Angeles with 9:26 remaining in the contest, but the Fever had a fourth-quarter meltdown and were outscored 35-17 in the final period. The Sparks went on to win 85-75 to move to 5-11 on the season. "With the injuries particularly, you can't maintain a consistent rotation," White said following the loss to the Sparks. "When you have a such a ball dominant player like Caitlin, who makes everyones job a lot easier, out of the game, then you've got to find ways to try to position them to get some easy ones. ... We don't run quite as much with Caitlin off the floor, but we still need to." Clark suffered a quad injury during the Fever's 90-88 loss to the New York Liberty on May 24. Clark returned to the Fever's lineup on June 14 in the Fever's 102-88 win over the Liberty after missing five games, which officially ended her longest stretch of missed due to injury in her collegiate or WNBA career. She dropped 32 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in her first game back. Advertisement The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Caitlin Clark injury update: Fever star out vs Wings, Paige Bueckers
