Additional Coverage:
- Caitlin Clark back in Fever lineup against Valkyries after missing one game with injury (foxnews.com)
Caitlin Clark is expected to return to the court Friday night as the Indiana Fever take on the Golden State Valkyries, the team announced. Clark, 24, sat out the Fever’s Wednesday game against the Portland Fire due to an injury, which was disclosed just two hours before tipoff.
The injury was not reported in the team’s injury report the day before, leading to a warning from the WNBA. The league requires teams to submit injury reports by 5 p.m. the night before games and update them promptly if a player’s status changes. The Fever’s failure to do so prompted the league’s notice, according to The Associated Press.
Despite Clark’s absence, Indiana secured a solid 90-73 victory over Portland, led by standout performances from Aliyah Boston, who scored 24 points, and Kelsey Mitchell with 21 points.
Clark, now in her third season with the Fever, has been off to an impressive start, averaging 24.3 points, 9 assists, and 5 rebounds per game through four contests. The former Iowa star is hoping her recent back issue is behind her, aiming for a much healthier and more active season after being limited to just 13 games last year due to various injuries.
The Fever, currently 3-2, will face the 3-1 Valkyries at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday.