​LOS ANGELES — Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White said Aliyah Boston will not play Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Sparks due to a right lower-leg injury, while Caitlin Clark is listed as probable with a back issue and will participate in the game. White noted that the matchup against Los Angeles marks the start of a travel back-to-back, with the teams set to “flip flop” for Thursday’s game against Phoenix: Boston will be available, Clark will be out.
Boston’s absence was added to the injury report Tuesday afternoon after the Fever practiced. She has been dealing with a right lower-leg injury since February, which first surfaced during a game against Unrivaled. The issue sidelined her for the Unrivaled playoffs, the FIBA World Cup qualifiers in March, and Indiana’s first two preseason games as she worked to recover. She also missed Indiana’s regular-season contest against Seattle on May 17.
Clark, meanwhile, has been nursing back problems throughout the season. She missed the Fever’s May 20 game against Portland and has largely been listed as probable with a back injury since then. Clark has sat out Indiana’s last two games and exited the June 24 game against Phoenix in the third quarter after taking two hard fouls in the second period. A landing-space foul that wasn’t upgraded, followed by a confrontation in which Alyssa Thomas pressed a fist to Clark’s throat, occurred during that contest, and no foul was called on the floor.
With ongoing injuries affecting their top players, the Fever coaching staff and medical team are focused on long-term health management. White expressed gratitude for the medical staff’s vigilance and communication, emphasizing that decisions aim to balance immediate game needs with players’ long-term well-being. “I’m really thankful for our medical staff who will stay on top of it and who will communicate with us what’s in the best long-term interest of our players,” White said. “Not just short-term, in the game-to-game, but what’s in the best long-term interest for the season and for their career. I’m thankful for our medical team staying on top of that; they hold us accountable to make sure we stay within whatever our restrictions are… we understand that we have to be able to manage and get the most out of our players and our team.”
Chloe Peterson covers the Indiana Fever for IndyStar. You can reach her at chloe.peterson@indystar.com or follow her on X at @chloepeterson67. Get IndyStar’s Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage delivered directly to your inbox with the Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter. Subscribe to IndyStar TV: Fever for in-depth analysis, behind-the-scenes coverage, and more. This article originally appeared on the Indianapolis Star. Is Caitlin Clark playing tonight? One Indiana Fever starter out vs Sparks, another out vs Mercury for better SEO.