Caitlin Clark Turns Heads With Bad Luck Injury Revelation

The Indiana Fever caused a slight uproar earlier this week when they held star Cailtin Clark out of their game against the Portland Fire on Wednesday in a last-minute decision that caught everyone off guard.

The news was controversial given Clark wasn't listed on the Fever's injury report on Tuesday, and pulling her last-minute was a violation of WNBA rules.

Head coach Stephanie White hinted Clark was battling a minor back issue after the Fire game, and Clark admitted to reporters that after missing 31 games last year with a quad and two groin injuries last year, and dealing with a back injury this year, this is uncharted water for her.

"Well, it’s certainly not anything I’ve ever been through before," Clark said. "That was, like, my claim to fame is like I was always healthy. I didn’t miss a single game in college. I would play, like, 40 minutes a night. And then going into the training camp, I kind of hurt my quad at the beginning of training camp.

"And I really like never got back to 100% health after that and dealt with some other injuries. Looking back now, I think it’s going to be something that’s going to be really beneficial for me."

Clark also opened up about how difficult being sidelined with injuries has been for her and the toll it's taken on her mental well-being.

"It definitely sucks," she said. "The thing that you don’t always realize until you get hurt is like how isolating it is. … And it’s hard, like, getting to watch people do what you love. Like, you want to be out there doing that."

Clark's back wasn't bad enough to keep her out of Friday's matchup against the Golden State Valkyries.

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This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 6:00 PM.