Caitlin Clark will be on the sidelines for the next two weeks, leaving a significant hole in the Indiana Fever‘s offense. Their first game without her ended in an 83-77 loss to the Washington Mystics, prompting responses from her co-stars about the differences.
Clark suffered a leg injury during the May 24 contest between the Fever and New York Liberty. It will keep her out for the next three games after Indiana’s loss to the Mystics.
The Fever maintained their competitiveness without their star guard but didn’t have the offensive potency to take down the Mystics. They shot 39.7% from the field, including 23.8% from beyond the arc, marking season lows for Indiana. They also had more turnovers (16) than assists (15, another season low), showing how important Clark is with her playmaking ability.
Clark’s teammates Sophie Cunningham and Kelsey Mitchell reflected on the loss after the game, per ESPN. They view the loss as a humbling experience, understanding there are issues they must address so they can improve and play better while Clark is out.
“I think this was a kind of gut punch for us,” Cunningham said. “We’re going to come back tomorrow at practice with more focus, more energy. We know where we want to be at the end the season, but we’re not just going to get there.”
“We weren’t sharp enough to be a contender for anything tonight,” Mitchell added. “I think getting punched in the mouth early is humbling, because it shows where we need to be.”
What lies ahead for Caitlin Clark’s Fever
GettyCaitlin Clark with her teammates during a game between the Indiana Fever and Washington Mystics on May 28, 2025.
It was a tough loss for the Fever to endure without Caitlin Clark to help them. However, it presents a need for growth, as head coach Stephanie White told ESPN.
“Feeling comfortable getting to our off-ball actions, that’s still a growth process for us,” White said. “You can see when physicality happens or defensive pressure picks up, we revert to some old habits, settling for one-on-one, settling for jump shots, settling for dribble handoffs, instead of trusting the process of moving the ball and of playing in some off-ball actions.”
Cunningham also chimed in with words of confidence about the Fever’s ability to play without Clark in the short term and long term.
“I do think short term and long term it’s going to make us better,” Cunningham said.
Indiana has a 2-3 record on the season, holding the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference standings. They are 0.5 games behind the Mystics and 1.5 games behind the Atlanta Dream.
Clark was averaging 19 points, 9.3 assists and six rebounds per game prior to the injury. She was shooting 40.3% from the field, including 31.4% from downtown. Her return will prove to be crucial as Indiana seeks to assert themselves into playoff contention. In the meantime, it will be valuable for them to know how to win without their young star.
The Fever will look to bounce back when they host the Connecticut Sun on May 30 at 7:30 p.m. ET. After that, they will face the Mystics again on June 3 at 7 p.m. ET.
