The Indiana Fever have remained hopeful that superstar guard Caitlin Clark will be able to return at some point this season. While she was not able to get back on the court for Tuesday’s matchup against the Phoenix Mercury, there are still three more games left on the schedule in the regular season.
At this point, the Fever still have a shot at getting into the WNBA Playoffs. If that were to happen, it would give Clark a little bit more time to make her return.
While the questions continue to come up about whether or not she’ll be back this season, Indiana has remained relatively quiet. As shared by ESPN, head coach Stephanie White shared that Clark has yet to practice against contact.
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Is there a potential date in mind that Clark could return? That hasn’t been officially revealed. However, ESPN has taken a stab at predicting her return date.
According to their WNBA injury page, they have Clark’s projected return date as September 7. If that were to become a reality, she would return in the second to last game of the season against the Washington Mystics.
Of course, that is far from an inside source. It’s just a suggested date that could make sense for Clark’s return.
Clark has only played in 13 games this season. Even when she was on the court, she was clearly dealing with injury issues that limited her ability to produce at her normal level.
She averaged 16.5 points per game to go along with 8.8 assists, five rebounds, and 1.6 steals. In addition, she shot 36.7 percent from the floor and 27.9 percent from three-point range.
Even though the Fever could get into the playoffs, bringing Clark back might not be a wise decision. There are three players, including Sophie Cunningham, who are out for the season due to injuries. Could Indiana even compete with so many injuries?
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It’s possible, but the Fever need to be very cautious with Clark and allow her to get back to 100 percent full health before stepping foot on the basketball court.
Should the worst-case scenario end up being reality, Clark would sit out until the start of next season. Hopefully, she would be able to stay healthy for all of next season.
Expect to hear more news about Clark’s status in the near future. For now, September er 7 is a hopeful date to keep an eye on.
For more on the Indiana Fever and for news on the entire WNBA, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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