Overview
- The Indiana Fever announced on Wednesday that Caitlin Clark would not play because of back stiffness and posted an official X update listing her as out.
- Head coach Stephanie White said Clark woke up with stiffness, called it a standalone back issue and denied the team was managing her minutes as a specific plan.
- Fieldhouse Files reporter Scott Agness reported the absence was part of a “strategic management plan,” a characterization that several outlets relayed and that the team disputed.
- Indiana adjusted by starting veteran Tyasha Harris and relying on Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell for scoring, and the Fever beat the Portland Fire 90-73 without Clark.
- Clark’s late scratch revived concern given her injury-plagued 2025 season and earlier in-season back adjustments, the team faces a condensed early schedule, and no firm timetable for her return has been provided though Friday’s game is the next opportunity.