​Tonight is a significant night for the Indiana Fever and the WNBA as a whole, with superstar guard Caitlin Clark finally returning to action after rehabbing an injury. Clark exited the June 24 matchup with the Phoenix Mercury early because of a back injury and has not appeared in a game since. In total, she has missed two contests, both of which the Fever won.
Ahead of her return on Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Sparks, fans get a glimpse of Clark’s pregame attire. The WNBA star kept things simple, sporting a white tank top, gray pants, and white sneakers. You can see Clark’s full outfit in the video below.
Head coach Stephanie White confirmed that Clark would be in the lineup against the Sparks, though she will likely operate under a minutes restriction and may total around 20 minutes of playing time. Clark is averaging 30.8 minutes per game this season. “Just getting back into it, I would assume I’d be on a minutes restriction, hopefully a little bit over 20 (minutes) if I’m able to go, and I feel like I will be if practice goes well,” Clark said on Tuesday.
Clark also indicated she’s unlikely to play Thursday, when the Fever face the Mercury in the second game of a back-to-back. The Fever coach later confirmed that Clark will indeed sit out that contest.
WNBA fans likely circled the Mercury-Fever matchup on their calendars, especially given the circumstances surrounding June 24. That night, Thomas delivered several cheap shots on Clark, who left the floor early with an injury. Thomas received a one-game suspension, a decision Clark said she agreed with. “I did think it was a flagrant foul, and our refereeing just needs to be better,” Clark commented, via Tony East of Forbes Sports. “Obviously the refs are in a really difficult spot. It’s one of the hardest jobs in the world to make calls.”
Beyond criticizing officiating, Clark also addressed broader concerns about the league’s ability to protect its players, a topic that has surfaced frequently among her supporters. “It’s kind of been a discussion for three years now, and I really think we need to do a better job protecting the people in this league, and obviously I’ve been for better SEO,” she added.