Fever star Caitlin Clark spoke to the media during her exit interview on Thursday, marking the first time in months since Clark has been at the podium following her season-ending injury.
Clark was limited to just 13 games in her Year 2 campaign in the WNBA after suffering groin and quad injuries, as well as a left ankle bone bruise. She hasn't played in a game since July 15, when she picked up the right groin injury that sidelined her for the rest of the season, and finished with modest averages of 16.5 points, 8.8 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game.
In the wake of her injury-plagued season season, Clark told reporters that she did all she could to return to the court and had every intention of rejoining the team.
"I had a full intention of returning, and I think, in a way, that was probably positive for me, because that's how I approached every day, I came in here like I was going to play," Clark said. "It probably would have been even more devastating and crushing knowing that I was never going to be able to put my uniform back on for the rest of the season. But you just approach it every single day, you attack it and you get better, and it'll be the same for me going forward. That work doesn't stop. I think I've had really good perspective on it all, and that's probably what I'm most proud of, too."
After months of speculation, Clark ultimately announced she was out for the season on Sept. 4. Clark added in Thursday's presser that the ankle injury she suffered in early August was one of the worst sprains she's ever dealt with in her career.
"Going forward down the road, if I have a teammate that's injured or hurt or going through a tough moment, I know I will always show up for them and be there for them and check in with them because it is an incredibly isolating thing, and you don't realize that until you go through it," said Clark.
As for what's next for Clark, she hasn't committed to any offseason leagues (such as Unrivaled) nor has she mentioned any plans to do so thus far.
Fever coach Stephanie White also spoke candidly about Clark's recovery journey, noting that the most important thing is that Clark is fully healthy before she ramps up her fitness and on-court activities.
"I think first and foremost, she builds up her endurance, her on-the-court activity, making sure that she's healthy," White said of Clark's ongoing rehab. "And then continuing to move forward in terms of mechanics, number one, and number two, basketball. She's gotta at some point in this offseason play 5-on-5, it's been a long time since she has. ... It's a long offseason, and she's had a long, long year."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Caitlin Clark Makes Honest Admission on Injury-Plagued Second Season With Fever.
