With reports running through the rumor mill that Caitlin Clark was rushed back from a previous injury, which led to her current groin injury, the Indiana Fever are now being overly cautious with their superstar. And for good reason. We mentioned almost a month ago that Clark should be shut down for the season. As much as it would hurt the WNBA’s ratings, her long-term health is more important.
Indiana Fever HC Stephanie White Says Team Being Cautious With Caitlin Clark’s Return To Avoid Another Setback
There continues to be no timeline for Clark’s return to the court, coach Stephanie White said ahead of Sunday’s game against Seattle.
“We’ve had updates (from the training staff), and her recovery is going well,” White told reporters. “You know for us, it’s staying the course and making sure that we’re really diligent about each step that we take, and that we don’t have setbacks, and that we’re patient with it.”
Meanwhile the season is dwindling, but the Fever are still rising in the standings, in fifth place overall in the W. Clark is limited to walking into Climate Pledge Arena on this current road trip, wearing the Fever’s practice uniform. Teasing fans that she may be getting closer to a return. But White is clear that they’re trying to be cautious with her recovery.
“I know she wants to be out here on the floor, and we want her out here on the floor, but making sure that she’s ready is the most important thing. I still don’t know how far we are. We’re going to take it one step at a time, one day at a time, and go from there.”
Catastrophe Brewing? Caitlin Clark Hires Personal Medical Team
With all of that going on, a more romantic story is unfolding with the league’s cash cow Caitlin Clark. Clark has been sidelined with various muscle injuries, the latest a right groin strain that has kept her out since well before the All-Star break. At first it wasn’t considered serious, but behind the scenes there seems to be drama brewing between Clark and the Indian Fever medical staff. It’s been described as a complete breakdown of trust between the superstar player and her franchise. In a move that sent shockwaves throughout the WNBA and anyone who actually was privy to it, Clark has reportedly taken control of her own medical care, choosing to go that route rather than deal with the team doctors any further. This is a very bad sign, considering Clark is in just her second season and already doesn’t trust the medical staff.
Why Has Caitlin Clark Ended Relationship With Indiana Fever Medical Staff?
According to reports, after July 15th when Clark gingerly limped off the hardwood during a physical game against the Connecticut Sun with another groin injury, insiders say it was the final blow. The groin was a repeat of a previous injury, and sources close to Clark are allegedly blaming the team for rushing her back.
Following that incident Clark reportedly informed the team that she would be organizing her own set of doctors and wouldn’t be using the Fever staff. This wouldn’t be a reason for Clark to want to leave Indiana, but if history is any indication, it’s a horrible sign for the long-term relationship between Clark and the Fever. The organization has quadrupled in popularity since Clark was drafted and has led the league in attendance and ratings upon her arrival.
Losing her would be akin to when LeBron James left Cleveland for the first time. The franchise would become much less competitive and nobody would care.
The organization is keeping this low, but head coach Stephanie White did admit to reporters that she knew Clark was meeting with specialists in New York and surprisingly had no updates about the matter. You can only assume that the head coach of the team has no information on the status of her star player because Clark no longer trusts the organization with that kind of information.
Did Indiana Fever Mishandle Caitlin Clark Injury By Rushing Her Back?
Clark never missed a game in college, but her second WNBA season has been a rainfall of injuries, which doesn’t fit her MO. Clark had left leg soreness in early May, a left quad strain that led to her missing the first game of her entire career. Now the right groin injury suggests an alarming pattern of recurring soft tissue injuries. Just two years into her career, Clark, 23, is dealing with load management and rehab.
According to reports by WNBA reporter Holly Rowe, the most convincing evidence of mismanagement by the Fever medical staff occurred when the league’s assists leader returned from her quad injury. The team didn’t provide her with much full-speed practice time to really test the groin and see if she was ready to go. That reportedly was enough for Clark to make the decision to get her own team of medical advisers.
Remember How Kawhi Leonard’s Spurs Career Ended
Not suggesting that Clark even wants to leave Indiana. It’s the perfect place for the Iowa legend to continue putting a strangle hold on Middle America, the rural fan and the everyday pony-tail wearing basketball fan.
However, we all remember how a championship relationship between Leonard and the Spurs turned awfully sour when the team and Leonard got into a major rift over a quad injury he suffered. The Spurs wanted him on the court and Leonard wasn’t comfortable risking further injury. Distrust entered the equation with Leaonard seeking out his own doctors and ceasing communication with the franchise on issues involving his body. The situation got so bad that the Spurs were forced to trade their superstar and NBA Finals MVP, who went on to win another NBA Championship with the Toronto Raptors.
RELATED: What’s Really Going On Between Kawhi And The Spurs?
Would Caitlin Clark Leave Indiana?
Clark and Indiana might be heading down this path. Let’s be honest. Clark is the golden goose. She doesn’t owe Indiana a thing. After a game between the Fever and Liberty at Barclays Center, photos emerged of a “deep” conversation between Liberty Coach Sandy Brondello and Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu, Clark’s and her agent. Who knows what they were discussing?
It could have been CBA business as Clark will need to be even more vocal in the final days of negotiations to garner more fan support. We do know that there are 12 other teams in the league who would roll out the red carpet to bring Clark into the fold and treat her like a priceless diamond.
