Women's Fastbreak On SI

Wings Coach Shares How Caitlin Clark's Uncertain Status Impacts Game Plan vs Fever

Dallas Wings coach Chris Koclanes assessed how Caitlin Clark potentially not playing on Friday affects how his team might prepare to face the Fever.
Grant Young|
Jun 8, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings head coach Chris Koclanes reacts against the Minnesota Lynx during the first half at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images
Jun 8, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings head coach Chris Koclanes reacts against the Minnesota Lynx during the first half at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

On June 26, news broke that Indiana Fever star guard Caitlin Clark has suffered another injury, this time having to do with her groin. This comes just a couple of weeks after Clark was sidelined for five games because of a left quad strain she suffered over a month ago.

While Clark is currently considered day-to-day (meaning the groin injury likely isn't as serious as her previous quad ailment), this is still a brutal blow not only for the Fever but for all of women's basketball, given how much Clark means to the sport.

Clark has already been ruled out of Indiana's home game against the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday. After this contest, Indiana heads to Dallas, where they take on the Wings on June 27 for the team's first back-to-back of the 2025 season.

It's still unclear whether Clark will be clear to play on Friday. And when speaking with the media on Thursday, Wings head coach Chris Koclanes spoke about how this uncertainly impacts his pre-game preparation.

"You go in preparing for [Clark] to be there. And then you adjust accordingly," Koclanes said, per an X post from Joey Mistretta. "I know they've just signed Aari McDonald back. And we'll see a lot of her tonight, so we'll get a good look at what that might look like if [Clark] doesn't play [against] us.

"So we have the benefit of watching them play tonight without her, but you go in preparing for Caitlin to be on the floor, and you adjust," he added.

Fans are really hoping Clark will be healthy to play, if only because it would be the first time she matches up against Paige Bueckers in the WNBA.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

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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