WNBA star Caitlin Clark will miss the rest of the Indiana Fever’s season because of a right groin injury.
“I had hoped to share a better update, but I will not be returning to play this season,” Clark said in a statement late Thursday.
“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 through all the uncertainty.
“This has been incredibly frustrating, but even in the bad, there is good. 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.”
Clark was injured late in a July 15 game against the Connecticut Sun, and later sustained a bone bruise. She averaged 16.5 points, 8.8 assists and 5.0 rebounds in 13 games in her second season in the WNBA.
“Caitlin has worked so hard throughout this time, doing everything possible to recover and return to the court but, ultimately, time is not on our side,” Fever COO and GM Amber Cox said.
“While we will continue working with Caitlin and provide her with every resource we have available, there is not enough time left in our season for her to safely return, and her long-term health and well-being remains our top priority. We are looking forward to having her back at full strength to start the 2026 season,” Cox said.
On July 16, Clark received an MRI in New York where doctors confirmed that she had suffered a groin strain, according to the Indy Star. She had further imaging work done about a week later which showed there had been no additional damage beyond what was found that day.
This isn’t the first injury — or even the first groin injury — to send Clark back to the locker room this season.
On May 24, Clark suffered a strained quad in her left leg that removed her from the game for a little more than two weeks. Five games after she returned from her quad strain, she suffered a left groin injury. She took time to recover, played four more games, and then suffered the right groin injury on July 15.
With reporting from the Associated Press.
