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Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Caitlin Clark injury update: When Will Indiana Fever WNBA star return from quad injury?
The Indiana Fever announced some bad news on Monday, as Caitlin Clark will be out for at least two weeks with a strained left quadriceps muscle. The reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year has gotten off to a good start to her second season, averaging 19.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 9.3 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.0 blocks and 2.8 three-pointers in 34.9 minutes. Given her impact as a scorer and playmaker, Clark's absence will leave a significant hole in the Fever's offensive attack. How will Indiana compensate for the absence of its offensive focal point? How long will Clark be on the sidelines? Let's take a quick look at the situation in Indiana, with the Commissioner's Cup on the horizon. WNBA: Dallas Wings-Media Day WNBA Player News Advertisement Check out Rotoworld's newly-launched WNBA Player News section, the best place to keep up to date with transactions, injuries, and game results around the W this season! How did Caitlin Clark get injured? The exact timing of Clark's injury is unknown. She dealt with a left leg injury during the preseason, sitting out Indiana's May 3 opener against the Washington Mystics. However, that was the first of two games in as many days for the Fever, who face Brazil's national team in Iowa City the following day. Clark was on the floor for her "homecoming," playing 19 minutes and finishing with 16 points, six rebounds, five assists, one blocked shot and four three-pointers in the blowout victory. Clark also played 23 minutes in Indiana's preseason finale against the Atlanta Dream on May 10. Fever coach Stephanie White said during her availability on May 27 that this injury is not related to the leg issue that Clark dealt with during the preseason. Clark played 38 minutes in Indiana's two-point loss to the Liberty on May 24 and would then undergo an MRI on her quad. The strain would be discovered then, sidelining the point guard for at least two weeks. When will Caitlin Clark return from injury? The two-week timeline means she will miss at least four games, starting with Indiana's road contest against the Mystics on May 28. Also falling within that timeframe are games against Connecticut (May 30), Washington (June 3) and Chicago (June 7). It should be noted that this is only until the Fever re-evaluates Clark's injury, so the potential remains for her to miss more time, depending on what the doctors see. Who will be asked to fill the void in Caitlin Clark's absence? Fever head coach Stephanie White said on Tuesday that veteran Sydney Colson will move into the starting lineup. Signed as a free agent this offseason, Colson has championship experience, having won titles with the Las Vegas Aces during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. However, her playing time was limited, with her most recent average being 8.0 minutes per game during the 2024 campaign. Colson filled a similar role to begin this season, averaging eight minutes per game in three appearances. Her playing time clearly will increase with Clark sidelined. Advertisement Another name to know is that of Sophie Cunningham, who was acquired from the Phoenix Mercury in February as part of a trade that involved a staggering 10 teams. Having missed Indiana's first two games with an ankle sprain suffered during the preseason, Cunningham has averaged 7.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 three-pointers in 20.0 minutes. Kelsey Mitchell, a starter who earned All-Star honors last season, stands to be of even greater importance to the Fever with Clark out, especially with Colson not being much of a scorer. Also, Lexie Hull has gotten off to a good start, averaging 10.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 three-pointers through Indiana's first four games. The Fever offense will look different with Clark out of the lineup, but they have enough talent to compensate for her absence, especially with the moves made during the offseason. UPDATED 2025 WNBA MVP ODDS (from DraftKings Sportsbook) Napheesa Collier: -170 Caitlin Clark: +240 A'ja Wilson: +700 Kelsey Plum: +6000 Breanna Stewart: +6000
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
WNBA Fantasy Basketball Mock Draft: A'ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark lead the way in Rotoworld mock draft
With the 2025 WNBA regular season beginning on Friday, we felt it would be a good idea to do some drafting. Rotoworld staffers Jackie Powell, Noah Rubin, Cole Huff and Raphielle Johnson went through a nine-round fantasy WNBA snake draft, using ESPN's default scoring for head-to-head points leagues. While points, rebounds, assists and three-pointers are worth one point apiece in these settings, steals and blocked shots are worth two points. Advertisement Below is how the draft played out, followed by some thoughts from each manager on their teams. Of course, with only four people participating in the draft, a lot of talent remained on the board. FOLLOW WNBA PLAYER NEWS ALL SEASON LONG! Round 1 Results Jackie Powell: F A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces Noah Rubin: G Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever Raphielle Johnson: F Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty Cole Huff: F Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx Round 2 Results Huff: G Arike Ogunbowale, Dallas Wings Johnson: G Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty Rubin: F Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix Mercury Powell: F Jonquel Jones, New York Liberty Round 3 Results Powell: G Kelsey Plum, Los Angeles Sparks Advertisement Rubin: G Jewell Loyd, Las Vegas Aces Johnson: F Dearica Hamby, Los Angeles Sparks Huff: F Angel Reese, Chicago Sky Round 4 Results Huff: G Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces Johnson: F Nneka Ogwumike, Seattle Storm Rubin: F Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever Powell: G Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream Round 5 Results Powell: G Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings Rubin: F Satou Sabally, Phoenix Mercury Johnson: G Skylar Diggins, Seattle Storm Huff: C Ezi Magbegor, Seattle Storm Round 6 Results Huff: G Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream Johnson: G Kahleah Copper, Phoenix Mercury Rubin: G Marina Mabrey, Connecticut Sun Powell: C Brittney Griner, Atlanta Dream Round 7 Results Powell: F Alanna Smith, Minnesota Lynx Advertisement Rubin: F Natasha Howard, Indiana Fever Johnson: G Kayla McBride, Minnesota Lynx Huff: G Courtney Williams, Minnesota Lynx Round 8 Results Huff: C Brionna Jones, Atlanta Dream Johnson: G Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana Fever Rubin: G Ariel Atkins, Chicago Sky Powell: G Julie Vanloo, Golden State Valkyries Round 9 Results Powell: G Sonia Citron, Washington Mystics Rubin: C Tina Charles, Connecticut Sun Johnson: F Gabby Williams, Seattle Storm Huff: F Rickea Jackson, Los Angeles Sparks Caitlin Clark WNBA Player News Check out Rotoworld's newly-launched WNBA Player News section, the best place to keep up to date with transactions, injuries, and game results around the W this season! Advertisement Jackie Powell's thoughts : With the first pick in our fantasy draft, I chose the reigning MVP A'ja Wilson to build my roster around. Since she didn't play overseas or in Unrivaled, Wilson is bound to be well-rested and ready to play in what will be the WNBA's longest season ever of 44 games. Then, with my second and third players at eighth and ninth, I chose Jonquel Jones, who is one of the best shooting posts and best rebounders in the league, along with Wilson's former teammate Kelsey Plum, who presumably will be the Sparks' No. 1 option this season. I drafted for the most part with versatility in mind and wanted the players that I selected to be those who could stuff the stat sheet. Both Paige Bueckers and Rhyne Howard, who I selected at 16th and 17th, are exemplary of that, with both Bueckers and Howard capable of putting up numbers in both offensive and defensive categories as two-way guards/wings. My mistake in our draft came when I selected both Brittney Griner and Alanna Smith at 24th and 25th, respectively. I didn't need two more centers, so I should have picked one and selected a swing woman like DeWanna Bonner, who wasn't selected in our draft. With my final two picks, I made sure to take two players who will have substantial roles on teams that aren't going to be contending this year. Julie Vanloo has the potential to put up double-digits in assists and points, while Sonia Citron is set to be the Mystics' starting small forward. Citron might not score the most points, but she'll be productive in many other ways, including her efficiency from both the field and the line. Advertisement Noah Rubin's thoughts : Though A'ja Wilson is the top option on the board, getting Caitlin Clark with the second pick is a nice consolation prize for me. I went heavy on Fever players by also adding Aliyah Boston and Natasha Howard. Getting Satou Sabally at 18 was my favorite pick of this draft, and I considered taking her a round earlier. Sabally was only available to play 15 games after the Olympic break, but the former No. 2 overall pick should be in for a big year in her first season in Phoenix. DeWanna Bonner was the top player still available on my board, which holds true according to ESPN's rankings as well. They have her ranked as the 18th-best player this season. I'm not quite that high on her (and it seems like our other writers aren't either), but she would've been my next pick if she were still available. Cole Huff's thoughts : Advertisement Napheesa Collier at No. 4 overall was the clear choice for me, given who was already off the board at the time, and pairing Arike Ogunbowale with her made sense for a team looking to form its identity on scoring, three-point shooting, and stocks, with the latter providing bonus points. Angel Reese in the third round didn't exactly fit the description, but her threat as a double-double machine made it an easy call, while taking Jackie Young in the fourth felt like a perfect do-it-all player for the team. From there, the goal was to add proven veterans with dual-threat capabilities, and a couple of upside swings that ended up being Ezi Magbegor and Rickea Jackson. DeWanna Bonner would be on this team if I had another spot available. Raphielle Johnson's thoughts : While I hoped to be able to select A'ja Wilson or Caitlin Clark with my first pick, that's going to be nearly impossible to pull off in most leagues when you're third in the order. However, Breanna Stewart is anything but a "consolation prize," even with the Liberty boasting a loaded squad and her coming off an offseason knee procedure. She remains a key figure for the reigning champs. I try to avoid using my top two picks on teammates, but that was impossible to avoid in this draft since Sabrina Ionescu was on the board for me in the second round. Later in the draft, I went with a few players who were not active during the preseason, which may make them more valuable than expected. Hopefully, Kahleah Copper's back issue is not a significant concern, while I believe Kayla McBride and Gabby Williams can be exceptionally valuable in their respective draft slots. As for a player who remained on the board that I wished to have room to draft, it would be Natasha Cloud. While she doesn't play the same position as Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, BLH missing the entire 2025 season with a knee injury raises Cloud's ceiling in her first season with the Liberty.
