Fever Coach Explains What Caused Caitlin Clark Season Shutdown Decision
Every women's basketball fan is surely well aware that Indiana Fever star guard Caitlin Clark will be missing the rest of the 2025 season. This came after Clark made a post on her social media channels on September 4, announcing the news and expressing her frustration with how this season has gone and the constant, recurring nature of the soft tissue injuries she has dealt with.
This news didn't necessarily come as a surprise, especially after what Fever head coach Stephanie White said when speaking with the media after Indiana's September 4 practice.
"We really wanted to use this West Coast trip to evaluate. We're gonna sit down after practice today and hopefully have a direction soon," White said about Clark's potential return from injury.
When asked if the team's decision will be made public, she added, "Yeah, I think that's the hope. We knew that he had a stretch over the weekend to really see where we are. And the hope is to sit down and have an answer one way or another."
Of course, White was right in that the decision was ultimately made and went public later that day (in the form of Clark's social media posts).
Stephanie White Opens Up About Decision to End Caitlin Clark's 2025 WNBA Season
White also spoke with the media before her team's game against the Chicago Sky on September 5. At one point, she was asked what went into them deciding to shut Clark down for the season.
"I think just having conversations with [Clark], and collaborating, and [knowing] that West Coast road trip was gonna be a big one to see what we could get, and how far we could get. And at the end of the day, she has been working her butt off to be able to get back. And we've kind of run out of time to be able to do it in a safe way, in a safe manner," White said, per an X post from Chloe Peterson.
"We've all been very open and upfront that her long-term health and wellness is the most important thing. And to play at this time of the year, we just ran out of time to get her there," she continued.
Steph White on how they came to the conclusion to shut Caitlin Clark down for the season and the emotions CC felt on that decision:
— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) September 5, 2025
“The amount of work she’s put in to play and to ultimately come to this decision, there’s disappointment.” pic.twitter.com/VPmVYPKNkr
White later added, "Ultimately, the message has continued to be that... her long-term health and wellness, and her being 100% when she's ready to go, is the most important thing."
Fever fans will have a hard time finding fault in this response, despite how badly acknowledging its accuracy might sting.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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