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Caitlin Clark is out with a back injury for Saturday’s matchup with the Los Angeles Sparks, head coach Stephanie White announced Friday morning.
Clark exited Wednesday’s loss to the Phoenix Mercury in the second half, finishing with 19 points and 8 assists in 20 minutes of play. It was unclear when the injury happened, and that game garnered more attention for the “reckless” play that got Mercury star Alyssa Thomas a Flagrant Foul 2 and a one-game suspension.
The incident with Thomas, which was deemed a “non-basketball act” by the league, happened about halfway through the second quarter of the 111-109 Fever loss. Clark was on the ground after going for a ball, and Thomas appeared to push off Clark’s throat as she stood up.

Thomas was not called for a foul on the play, and her push down on Clark was not reviewed by the officials. Fever coach Stephanie White said she was told at halftime, after bringing the incident to officials’ attention, that they didn’t see it.
“No. 1, you gotta call it,” White said after the game. “It’s absolutely egregious and utterly disrespectful. And then No. 2, you’re coming in here aware of what happened two nights ago and that s*** still happens? Absolutely unacceptable. Absolutely unacceptable.”
Clark was first listed with a back injury in May, having been a late scratch with the injury ahead of a matchup with the Portland Fire. She had not been listed on the injury report prior, prompting the league to issue the team a warning about injury designations. The Fever have since routinely listed her on the availability report. They listed her as “probable” ahead of Wednesday’s matchup.
White cautioned throughout the season and again on Wednesday night that they were being careful with Clark, who missed the majority of her second year with soft tissue injuries. White said the back issue would be an “ongoing thing” when Clark received treatment during the first game of the season. Clark said she had her “back adjusted” because it “gets out of line pretty quickly.”

The team has also erred on the side of caution with other players’ injuries. Aliyah Boston missed her first game in eight years earlier this season.
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