​Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark will return to the lineup Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Sparks, Fever coach Stephanie White told reporters at Wednesday’s shootaround. Clark has missed Indiana’s previous two games and three in total this season due to a back injury. However, she will not play Thursday night at the Phoenix Mercury as the Fever continue to manage her back issue over the course of the season.
White also announced that center Aliyah Boston will be out Wednesday versus the Sparks because of a lower right leg injury, but is expected to return Thursday in Phoenix. Boston has been dealing with the leg issue throughout the season and will miss her second game of the year as a result.
White described the decision to “flip-flop” Clark’s and Boston’s rest days as precautionary. This week features back-to-back games—the first of three such back-to-back sequences Indiana will navigate during the regular season.
“Again, what’s in the best long-term interest of our players?” White said Wednesday. “Not just short-term, in the game-to-game outlook, but what’s in the best long-term interest for a season and for a career? I’m grateful for our medical team for staying on top of this. They hold us accountable to making sure that we stay committed to whatever our restrictions are.”
Clark’s last appearance came on June 24, when she exited in the third quarter of a 111-109 loss to the Phoenix Mercury after aggravating her back. That game also featured a controversial moment when Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas delivered a dangerous play by pushing her right fist toward Clark’s throat during a second-quarter scrum. The play initially drew no foul, but the WNBA reviewed it and later upgraded the incident to a flagrant foul 2, fining Thomas $1,000 and suspending her for one game. White said after the game she was unsure whether Thomas’ “dangerous” foul contributed to Clark’s back flare-up. Clark has previously indicated uncertainty about when her back issues began.
Boston, meanwhile, sustained a lower-leg injury in February while playing for Unrivaled, the professional three-on-three league. She sat out Indiana’s first two preseason games and missed the Fever’s inaugural WNBA game of the season on May 17 while rehabbing.
Despite the lingering injuries for both players, Clark and Boston were still selected as starters for the All-Star Game. Clark, now a three-time All-Star, entered Wednesday night averaging 21.2 points and 8.2 assists across 17 games. She has achieved two games this season with at least 30 points and 10 assists, and no other player in WNBA history has more than one such performance.
Boston, a four-time All-Star, is averaging 17.1 points and 8.6 rebounds through 19 games this year. She has recorded six double-doubles while shooting a career-high 45.1 percent from three-point range. The versatile center has drilled 23 triples this season, more than her first three years combined (17).
This report originated with The Athletic. Indiana’s updates and roster notes continue to influence the Fever’s approach as they navigate injuries and rest management throughout the season.