Caitlin Clark won't play in the WNBA again during the 2025 season. The Indiana Fever guard has been out since suffering a right groin sprain over seven weeks ago on July 15, missing the last 19 games. On Thursday, the Fever announced she won't return for the rest of the season, including the playoffs should Indiana clinch a postseason berth.
Clark never missed a game during four years at the University of Iowa or during her rookie WNBA season in 2024, but three separate injuries sidelined her for 28 of 41 regular-season games this summer (as well as the Commissioner's Cup final, which doesn't count toward team records).
The 2024 Rookie of the Year and a first-team All-WNBA selection, Clark is averaged 16.5 points, 8.8 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals this season in 13 games.
Injuries have hit hard in Indiana this season -- including season-ending injuries to guards Sydney Colson, Aari McDonald and Sophie Cunningham and forward Chloe Bibby -- as the Fever continue their pursuit of a second straight playoff berth. Last year, the Fever reached the postseason for the first time since 2016 but were swept in the first round.
We tracked Clark's injuries, absences and shooting this season, as well as key personnel moves that have impacted the Fever.
May 3: Left leg soreness sidelines Clark for exhibition opener
Clark, who dealt with a left quad injury during training camp, sits out the Fever's first preseason game, a 79-74 overtime victory over the Washington Mystics, with what she describes as quad tightness.
But Clark plays the following day when the Fever beat the Brazilian national team 108-44 in an exhibition game at Iowa's Carver-Hawkeye Arena, punctuating the night with a 36-foot 3-pointer from just behind the spot on the court that has her No. 22 logo affixed.
May 26: Left quad sprain sidelines Clark
Indiana opens the season 2-2 -- losing its two games by a combined three points -- but nine days into the season, the Fever announce Clark will miss at least two weeks with a left quad sprain. While on the same leg, a team spokesman said it's a different injury from what Clark dealt with in the preseason.
White said Clark wasn't sure when the injury happened but had reported some pain in her leg after a May 24 loss to the New York Liberty.
Clark misses five games from May 28 to June 10; Indiana goes 2-3 in that span.
June 2: Fever sign McDonald to bolster depleted backcourt
Indiana picks up 5-foot-6 point guard Aari McDonald via emergency hardship exception after the Fever fall below 10 available players -- Sophie Cunningham and Syndey Colson were also out with brief injuries.
On June 3, after Indiana has lost its first two games without Clark, McDonald comes off the bench for the Fever against Washington. She posts 7 points, 5 assists and 3 steals in 27 minutes.
McDonald is waived on June 13, per CBA rules, once Clark and Cunningham are ruled available.
Caitlin Clark lights it up with six 3s and 25 points in the first half in her first game back from injury for the Fever.
June 14: Clark returns, drops 32 points in first game in 21 days
Clark makes a statement in her first game back, totaling 32 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds to hand the New York Liberty their first loss of the season. Clark scores 25 points by halftime, fueled by a stretch in the first quarter, when she drains three consecutive 3-pointers, the first from 33 feet. She nails a 27-footer 21 seconds later, and a 31-footer 22 seconds after that. She finishes with seven treys.
Clark, who accounts for 54 of Indiana's points through her scoring and passing in the 102-88 victory over the defending WNBA champs, plays 31 minutes, 18 seconds, and says after the game that she felt fine other than being a little winded a few times.
"My legs felt really strong. I felt in good shape," she said.
June 26: Clark is ruled out again
Clark plays in five consecutive games -- the Fever go 3-2, including a 94-86 win at the Seattle Storm on June 24 to snap a two-game losing streak on the road. But Clark, who shoots 0-for-6 on 3-pointers against the Storm, is ruled out two days later due to a left groin sprain ahead of a home game against the Los Angeles Sparks.
White says before the game she found out about the injury late the previous night, after the team's training staff had taken Clark for an MRI.
Before she's sidelined again, Clark goes 1-for-23 from the 3-point line in a three-game stretch.
July 9: Clark returns, but Fever fall below .500
In her first game in 15 days, Clark tallies 10 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 turnovers in just less than 25 minutes in an 80-61 loss to the Golden State Valkyries.
The loss drops the Fever to 9-10 on the season -- 5-5 with Clark on the floor and 4-5 without her.
White says the Fever's "lack of competitive fire" led to the loss.
July 15: Clark suffers right groin injury; shooting woes continue
The Fever reel off three straight wins as the All-Star break approaches, improving their record to 12-10, two games above .500 for the first time this season. But in the final minute of an 85-77 win over the Connecticut Sun, Clark pulls up as she's driving toward the basket, dishes a bounce pass and then holds the inside of her right thigh. Visibly frustrated, briefly resting her head against the stanchion, Clark leaves the court while fighting back tears, eventually covering her head with a towel.
Clark finishes with 14 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists, including nine points and two assists in the fourth quarter.
But Clark shoots 1-for-7 on 3-point attempts, hitting just her second 3 on the road this season. In her four games before the latest injury, Clark is 6-for-26 (23.1%) from downtown.
After the game, White tells reporters Clark "felt a little something in her groin."
July 16: Clark misses her 10th regular-season game
Clark, who team officials say underwent imaging Wednesday to determine the extent of the injury, sits out her 10th regular-season game. Indiana loses 98-77 at the New York Liberty.
White says she will defer to the Fever's athletic training staff on the test results but adds, "I consider it good news" because "anything that we're talking about still day-to-day is always good news for me."
July 17: Clark will sit out All-Star Game, 3-point contest
Clark announces she will miss Friday's 3-point contest and Saturday's All-Star Game in Indianapolis.
"I'm incredibly sad and disappointed to say I can't participate," Clark writes in a statement shared by the Fever on social media. "I have to rest my body."
a message from Caitlin Clark ❤️ pic.twitter.com/zRGZEpqF5R
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) July 17, 2025
July 20: White: Clark will undergo more tests
Clark is unlikely to play in the first game after the All-Star break and will undergo additional testing for a right groin injury, Indiana coach White says.
Clark and the team should have "hopefully more of a clear line of what [the path forward] looks like" after consulting with doctors early this week, White tells reporters.
In her lone media availability with reporters during All-Star Weekend, Clark says she is trying to have as much fun as possible despite the disappointment of not being able to play.
"When the injury happened, it was pretty frustrating considering I knew what the coming days were going to hold for myself," she says before Sunday's All-Star Game. "But [this weekend] wasn't going to be taken away from me. Sure, maybe I'm not able to play the games, but I can still be here and participate, and I have a ton of friends and family in town that are having a really good time. So, I've been trying to enjoy the best I can."
Incredible weekend in Indy!! Our organization gave everything to make this the best WNBA All-Star Weekend yet-and it delivered in every way. Grateful to call this city home and beyond thankful for the incredible fans who brought the energy and made it special ❤️
— Caitlin Clark (@CaitlinClark22) July 20, 2025
July 24: No timetable for Clark's return
Clark undergoes further medical evaluations and no additional injuries or damage are discovered from the tests, the organization says. Clark will continue working with the Fever medical team on her recovery and rehab, with "the priority on her long-term health and well-being."
Coach Stephanie White discusses the adjustments the Fever have made while Caitlin Clark is injured.
Aug. 4: White: 'That's been the hardest part'
Speaking about how difficult it is to adjust to having Caitlin Clark in and out of the lineup, coach Stephanie White says it's particularly difficult because "she has so much gravity on the offensive end."
How is Indiana different without Clark on court?
"We run things differently when she's on the floor offensively," White says. "Now we go smaller, we have a little bit more versatility on the defensive end of the floor.
"We have some plug-and-play players. They don't care what their role is, they just want to get out there, they just want to compete."
Aug. 8: More injuries hit Fever; Clark remains sidelined
The Fever win five consecutive games from July 24 through Aug. 3 -- including victories over Las Vegas, Phoenix and at Seattle -- but lose Aari McDonald and Sydney Colson for the season after both were injured in an Aug. 7 game. That leaves the Fever with three remaining active guards in Kelsey Mitchell, Sophie Cunningham and Lexie Hull, who will have to juggle ball handling duties in the short term. Expect Indiana to bring in a hardship player(s) early this week.
To date, Clark is limited to individual rehab and workouts and has yet to return to team activities.
Aug. 10: Sims added via hardship contract
Indiana signs guard Odyssey Sims to a hardship contract, the team announces.
The Fever qualify for the hardship roster spot because of season-ending injuries to Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald. Their injuries, in addition to Clark still being sidelined, leave the Fever without a true point guard.
Sims has played in over 300 WNBA games since being drafted in 2014. The veteran spent the first part of this season with the Sparks, averaging 9.8 points and 3.5 assists through 12 games before being waived last month.
Aug. 11: Clark still not practicing with Fever
Fever coach Stephanie White says Clark is progressing but still is not practicing, and there's no timetable for her return.
"No return to practice, she's been able to get a little bit more of her full-court running with all of her body weight," White says. "It's really building up from doing minimal to building some endurance to do longer periods of time. She's been able to do a little more on the court in terms of how she moves, but not into practice shape."
Aug. 17: White hopes Clark returns before end of regular season
Asked before the Fever's 99-93 overtime win against the Sun whether she anticipates Clark's return by the end of the regular season, coach Stephanie White responds: "That's the hope. The hope is that she's back."
"The experience throughout the year, trying to come back and come back quickly, has also taught her that she needs to make sure that she's 100 percent," White continues. "Yes, every competitor wants to play, but at the same time doing it the right way and making sure, after we've had a couple of setbacks, that we're prioritizing her long-term health and wellness is the most important thing."
Aug. 19: Cunningham ruled out for rest of season
Indiana announces that Sophie Cunningham will miss the remainder of the season with an MCL tear in her right knee, an injury suffered in an Aug. 17 game against the Sun.
The third guard lost to a season-ending injury in the past two weeks, Cunningham is averaging 8.6 points and 3.5 rebounds while making 13 starts.
The Fever also announce they signed guard Shey Peddy to a seven-day hardship contract.
Aug. 20: Clark also suffered bone bruise while out with groin injury
During a workout earlier in the month, Clark suffers a bone bruise on her left ankle, a source confirms to ESPN.
Clark is rehabbing the ankle concurrently with the right groin injury that has sidelined her for the past month-plus.
Asked if the new injury delayed Clark's return, a Fever spokesperson says, "There was no timeline or projected return to play, so it's impossible to say if it was impacted."
Aug. 24: Clark participates in pregame shootaround
For the first time since her July 15 injury, Clark participates in some of Indiana's pregame shootaround open to media ahead of a game at Minnesota. Clark is seen in warmups and non-contact drills.
The following day, Clark continues to watch from the sidelines in a game against Seattle.
Aug. 26: Clark ramping up work, focusing on endurance
Clark participates in a walk-through during practice the day before a home game against Seattle. Coach Stephanie White says it's the next step in the ramping-up process to getting Clark back on the court.
"I want to see her in practice. Live in practice," White says. "I want to see her continue to work to not just build endurance, but to be able to handle contact [for] 94 feet as it's going to be in-game, and to be able to do that and sustain from an endurance standpoint."
White also reiterates it would take multiple practices for Clark to return to action.
Sept. 2: Clark does 5-on-0 work but still not cleared as playoffs loom
Though still not cleared for contact drills during practice sessions, Clark participates in full-court, 5-on-0 work during shootaround in Phoenix.
Fever coach Stephanie White tells reporters that Clark had been limited to shooting drills and individual work.
When asked by reporters if Clark will return before the end of the regular season, White says, "That's the hope. She's working as hard as she can to make sure that she is coming back or is capable of coming back. I think that the long-term viewpoint of her health and wellness is the most important thing."
I had hoped to share a better update, but I will not be returning to play this season. I spent hours in the gym every day with the singular goal of getting back out there, disappointed isn't a big enough word to describe how I am feeling. I want to thank everyone who had my back... pic.twitter.com/paD5sEYG1q
— Caitlin Clark (@CaitlinClark22) September 5, 2025
Sept. 4: Clark will not return this season
More than seven weeks after Caitlin Clark suffered a right groin sprain, the Fever shut down the guard for the rest of the season. In a social media post, Clark announces the news Thursday night.
"I had hoped to share a better update, but I will not be returning to play this season," Clark writes. "I spent hours in the gym every day with the singular goal of getting back out there, disappointed isn't a big enough word to describe how I am feeling."
Clark has been sidelined since July 15.
"This has been incredibly frustrating, but even in the bad, there is good," she writes. "The way the fans continued to show up for me, and for the Fever, brought me so much joy and important perspective. I am so proud of how this team has only gotten stronger through adversity this year. Now it's time to close out the season and claim our spot in the Playoffs."