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New York Times
4 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
As Caitlin Clark's injuries persist, what's the Fever's outlook for WNBA's second half?
NEW YORK — Late in the first quarter against the New York Liberty, Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White and assistant coach Briann January stood on the sideline intently watching a defensive possession. A few feet away, Caitlin Clark stood with a piece of paper rolled into her right hand, watching the same sequence develop, calling out instructions to teammates. Advertisement Scenes like this have been common throughout Indiana's opening 25 games of the season. Coach Clark has often been as much of a presence as Player Clark. She has studied Indiana's sets nearly as much as she has run them. After Tuesday night's 98-84 loss at New York, Clark has missed almost as many games (12, including the Commissioner's Cup championship) as she has played (13). To put it gently, the first half of the season was uneven for the Fever. Clark has dealt with injuries to her left quad and both groins, which have caused four total sideline stints since the preseason, including an absence from last week's All-Star Game. The Fever also had to adjust to DeWanna Bonner being granted a release only nine games after she became a high-profile free-agent acquisition in Indiana. White missed multiple games for personal reasons as well. 'We've obviously hit challenges along the way, but I think the way we've responded has really shown that we really can do anything,' fourth-year guard Lexie Hull said. The Fever, who sit in the middle of the league standings, have struggled to find a rhythm. They've played only four full-strength games this season. Yes, they've been resilient, but questions persist about how long they can keep trying to bounce back. 'We've got to figure out how to maintain consistency with what we have,' White said. back at @GainbridgeFH on Thursday. — Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) July 23, 2025 Heading into the season, Indiana recognized that it would take time for its pieces to jell. White headlined a largely new coaching staff, and only five players remained from last season, when the Fever went 20-20 and stormed into the playoffs after opening with eight losses in their first nine games. Still, expectations were high. Clark's definition of success had been simple: 'A championship,' she said on media day. Advertisement The objective sounds as if it has remained the same. 'We have really high standards for ourselves,' Hull said. 'We have expectations for what the end of the postseason looks like, and that goal doesn't change.' But what has changed is just how realistic that potential outcome seems. The Fever's flashes of greatness have been brief through the first 24 regular-season games: quick blips in an otherwise topsy-turvy start. The highs were high. Clark scored 32 points, 3 shy of her career high, in a win over the Liberty on June 14. That afternoon, she hit seven 3-pointers, tying a career high, all of which came from beyond 25 feet in a virtuosic performance. Against the Minnesota Lynx on July 1, Indiana put together its most complete defensive game, holding last year's finals runner-ups to season lows in points (59) and shooting (34.9). Clark didn't play in the win, but the result still served as a reminder of what the Fever can be. 'I'm proud of them that they can see it come to fruition,' White said afterward. Yet positive stretches have often given way to lulls. Good weeks have flowed into bad ones. Indiana has won three consecutive games only once this year, and it has as many win streaks (four) as losing streaks. 'Now it's just about being consistent and doing that more times than not,' Fever wing Sophie Cunningham said. Consistency will define the Fever by season's end. White has preached that Indiana's defensive intensity is non-negotiable, whether Clark is in the lineup or not. The Fever entered the All-Star break eighth in defensive rating and are hovering around league average in a number of key defensive metrics. At times, their point-of-attack defense has been disruptive. Other times, White has called out her team's defensive discipline. 'There will always be days when we don't make shots and we're not quite in flow offensively, but I think our mentality on the defensive end has to come back strong, has to come back sharp, has to come back hungry,' White said. Advertisement Against the Liberty on Tuesday, Indiana led by 4 points at halftime but squandered its advantage and trailed by 2 points after three quarters. The Liberty then went on a 14-1 second-half run, flipping the scoreline and leading to the eventual result. 'The difference in championship-caliber teams are those two or three minutes in a ballgame,' White said, 'where you can't have those miscommunications, you can't have the breakdowns, you can't have the poor shot selection. Games and series are won and lost in those small margins.' White said the Fever's defense 'got a little soft' over that stretch. Turnovers and poor shot selection led to defensive lapses. New York, she said, pinged the basketball around the perimeter as Indiana's stout first-half defense lagged. 'Not as good,' White said when reflecting on her team's second-half defensive performance. Though White wants a more consistent effort, Indiana's second-half outlook is also murky because of Clark's uncertain status. Clark traveled to New York with the Fever, but she met with doctors Monday and Tuesday for additional opinions on her right groin injury (her prior three injuries were all to her left leg). White has repeatedly said decisions about Clark's return will be made with her long-term health in mind. 'These soft tissue injuries sometimes nag until you can actually have time to really allow them to heal in the offseason,' White said. 'So we'll just take it one day at a time.' The Fever have already used six starting lineups, only one fewer than they used all of last season. They have adapted to playing different styles depending on their personnel. With Clark, Indiana's offense relies on its high-usage scorer who can dissect defenses. But without her, the Fever rely on their pace and ball movement. Both have proven to have some success; nevertheless, identity clarity seems integral to achieving long-term success. Advertisement In New York, the Fever faced an opponent with championship expectations. The Liberty are playing up to a championship standard, especially with the return of star center Jonquel Jones, who had 18 points and nine rebounds in 22 minutes. 'That's where we gotta be, where they are,' three-time All-Star guard Kelsey Mitchell said. Yet it's unclear if this version of the Fever can get there. Cunningham said she still believes Indiana has the pieces to peak at the right time. Mitchell said that the locker room remains connected despite all the team has been through. However, the only thing that has been consistent about the Fever this year is how inconsistent they have been. 'They fight for each other every day. They play for each other every day,' White said. They've been dealt a lot of different circumstances, and they handled it with grace, with humility, and haven't felt sorry for themselves.' That all is admirable. But questions remain if such resilience will pay dividends or if their inconsistency will doom them come playoff time.
Indianapolis Star
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Can Fever still be a contender this season? 'You see it in spurts,' but that's not enough
BROOKLYN – For nearly three quarters, the Indiana Fever were in a rhythm. They were going shot-for-shot with the New York Liberty, the reigning champions and one of the best teams in the league. They had seven steals and forced 11 turnovers by halftime, leading by as many as seven points in the third quarter. Then, as quickly as they had it, they lost it. Starting around the three-minute mark of the third quarter, New York went on a 29-8 run over nine minutes of game time. They limited the Fever to just two field goals during that stretch, all while easily creating space for their own shots. 'I feel like they didn't really feel us in the second half like they felt us in the first half,' Fever forward Natasha Howard said after Tuesday's 98-84 loss. 'We let them take quick shots, and that let them get easy buckets on the offensive end, and we really didn't pay attention to the personnel, we really struggled with that. But New York is a really good team, a championship team for a reason.' These second-half breakdowns have become an unfortunate theme for the Fever. They'll start strong in the first half, bring a lead into halftime, build it up midway through the third quarter, then fall apart. It happened in San Francisco, when a 13-point third-quarter lead turned into an 11-point loss on June 19; again in Las Vegas, when an eight-point lead in the third turned into a seven-point loss on June 22; and a third time against Los Angeles on June 26, as a 10-point third quarter lead pivoted to a 10-point loss. Amid roster changes and injuries, the Fever can't seem to consistently put a full 40-minute game together. They've had some big wins, including the Commissioner's Cup over Minnesota (which doesn't count in league standings) and their first win over Las Vegas since 2019 on July 3, but that doesn't cover for the games where they have the win in their grasp, then flail. 'The difference in championship-caliber teams are those two or three minutes in a ballgame,' Fever coach Stephanie White said. 'You can't have the miscommunications, you can't have the breakdowns, you can't have the poor shot selection, playing outside yourself. Whatever it may be. Games and series are won and lost in those small margins.' So, that begs the question: after a lot of preseason hype, are the Fever actually championship contenders? Ahead of the season, national media had the Fever high on their championship boards. Taking into account the acquisitions Indiana made, like 16-year veteran DeWanna Bonner and three-time champion Natasha Howard, and the talent they were able to retain in eight-year veteran Kelsey Mitchell, a lot of people thought Indiana could contend alongside New York and Minnesota. That was even something star Caitlin Clark characterized as success for the Fever this season: 'a championship.' For multiple reasons, those talks have cooled since the season has gone on. Clark, who was in preseason MVP talks, has missed 11 games so far this season with various muscle injuries. Bonner only played nine games for the Fever before requesting a trade, and she was waived less than halfway through the season. 'That's for everybody else to discuss if we were really going to be a contender or not,' White said. 'Certainly, there's no substitute for experience, and Tash and Syd (Colson) are the ones that have championship-caliber experience. I do think the disruption, and players playing in different positions because of that disruption, hasn't allowed the continuity as much as we like, but you see it in spurts.' The Fever have only had four games where they had their entire roster — including Aari McDonald, a midseason signee after Bonner was waived — so far this season. And it may be a while, if at all this season, that they'll have their full roster back, depending on the severity of Clark's right groin injury. The standard for a successful year for the Fever may have wavered since the beginning of the season. Right now, at 12-12, they're tied for sixth in the standings and in the fight to keep a playoff spot. Still, they know the margin of error is low. And, injuries aside, they know they need to improve. 'I don't think we have wiggle room to figure out anything else,' said Mitchell, who scored a game-high 29 points Tuesday. 'It's a gut-check game every game. Everybody's trying to make the playoffs, everybody's trying to be a contender for something, and I think it all comes down to who's going to be the tougher team for 40 minutes.'
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Will Caitlin Clark play tonight? Indiana Fever vs New York Liberty injury status
Just before the All-Star break, Caitlin Clark suffered another injury. This time, it was a right groin injury that sidelined the Indiana Fever star for the final game before the break against the New York Liberty. The right groin injury also shelved Clark for the 3-Point Contest and the WNBA All-Star Game. On Monday, the Fever released their official injury report, and, as expected, Clark was listed as out against the New York Liberty for Tuesday evening's contest. Fever head coach Stephanie White had said on Sunday that Indiana wasn't expecting Clark to be available against the Liberty in the first game of the season's second half. "I haven't seen C (Clark) since the game last night, but I think she's progressing. I think that we're continuing to address everything that needs to be addressed. She's going to see some doctors and get some more tests done early in the week. "I don't expect her to be available on Tuesday, so we're just going to continue to take it one day at a time and let her get her evaluation early this week. Once we've done that, hopefully we'll have more of a clear mind of what it looks like," White said of Clark's status. Indiana (12-11) tips off against New York (15-6) at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnREF This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Will Caitlin Clark play tonight? Indiana Fever vs New York Liberty
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Indiana Fever Coach Stephanie White Provides Caitlin Clark Injury Update
Indiana Fever Coach Stephanie White Provides Caitlin Clark Injury Update originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Caitlin Clark's injury-riddled season forges on. The Indiana Fever superstar has missed a total of 10 games so far this season while battling a groin injury. The original injury occurred early on this WNBA season, however, it reappeared during the final moments of Tuesday night's 85-77 victory over the Connecticut Sun, inside TD Garden in Boston. Clark was seen in visible pain, nearing tears, as she held her groin area and headed for the bench. She spent the remainder of the game with a towel over her head, fighting back tears, as the speculation as to the level of the injury began to swirl around the basketball world. While this injury forced Clark to miss the entirety of All-Star weekend (on the court), the question remains when Clark will return to the court to suit up for the Fever in the second half of the regular season. On Sunday, Fever head coach, Stephanie White, provided an injury update on Clark's groin. White spoke to reporters on Sunday regarding Clark's groin injury, and Fever beat reporter, Scott Agness, posted White's comments to his official X account. "I think she's progressing. I think we're continuing to address everything that needs to be addressed. She's going to see some doctors, and get some more tests run early in the week. I don't expect her to be available on Tuesday, so we're just going to continue to take it one day at a time, and let her get her evaluations early this week. And once we've done that, hopefully we'll have more of a clear line of what it looks like," White said. While it appears Clark will remain sidelined for Tuesday's matchup with the New York Liberty, it sounds like the Fever are doing everything in their power to get Clark healthy and back on the court. The Fever enter the second half of the season with a record of 12-11, sitting in sixth place in the standings. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Is Caitlin Clark playing today? Fever star's injury status for game vs. Liberty
At 12-11, the Indiana Fever are smack dab in the center of the WNBA playoff race. However, star guard Caitlin Clark has missed considerable time this season, making it much more difficult for the Fever to stay afloat. Clark was even forced to miss All-Star festivities nursing a groin injury. Given the Fever's record this year is a subpar 4-6 without Clark in the lineup, an extended absence could spell the end of Indiana's playoff hopes. The Fever's schedule is brutal coming up. Three of their next four games are against teams currently in playoff position in the New York Liberty, Las Vegas Aces, and Phoenix Mercury. If Clark misses substantial time, she might not return to a playoff contender. Advertisement Here is the latest news regarding Clark's availability for the Fever's first game since the All-Star break: More from WNBA: Ally and other major companies are investing big in growth of women's sports Caitlin Clark injury updates Caitlin Clark has been ruled out for Tuesday night's game against the Liberty. Fever coach Stephanie White had previously stated that she did not expect Clark to be available for Tuesday's game. White did not offer a timetable for Clark's return. "We're just going to continue to take it one day at a time and let her get her evaluations early this week. And once we have that, hopefully, we'll have a clear mind on what that looks like," White said Monday afternoon. Advertisement Clark will still travel with the team to New York for the game. How did Caitlin Clark get injured? Clark suffered a groin injury late during the Fever's 85-77 win over the Connecticut Sun on July 15. Clark recorded an assist to Kelsey Mitchell but was seen grabbing her groin as she headed back up court. She was promptly subbed out and has not returned to action since. After Tuesday's game, Clark will have missed 11 of the Fever's 24 games this season. She did not miss any time her rookie season or throughout her collegiate career at Iowa. The Fever are 4-6 without Clark in the lineup, while boasting an 8-5 record with Clark playing. Advertisement This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Caitlin Clark injury update: Is Fever star playing vs Liberty?
