Caitlin Clark Shuts Down Injury Concerns After Fever Loss to Wings
The Indiana Fever lost the first game of their 2026 WNBA regular season after a 107-104 loss to the Dallas Wings.
While this was not the result that Fever fans were hoping for, at least fans left the game entertained. It was an offensive display from both teams, each of whom figures to be contenders as the season progresses. The Fever still have a lot to figure out on both ends, but their big three (Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell) all did their role on offense.
Clark finished with 20 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and 5 turnovers, but Fever fans weren't just eager to see Clark produce in terms of stats. They also wanted to see her play an entire game completely healthy, given that she only played in 13 games last year. And while Clark did finish the game, there were several moments of concern when she had to head back to the locker room momentarily.
Plus, Clark was seen with a heating pad wrapped around her back when she was on the bench in the second half.
Caitlin Clark, Stephanie White Shut Down Any Injury Concerns After Fever Loss
Clark spoke with the media after Saturday's defeat and quelled any concerns about whether she's dealing with an injury.
"Just getting my back adjusted. It gets out of line pretty quickly, so just that. Just getting my back in place a little bit. But other than that, I feel great," Clark said after a question asked by Robin Lundberg of Indiana Fever On SI, per a YouTube video from Tony East.
Caitlin says she feels fine (clip from the postgame via Tony East YT, question by Robin Lundberg) pic.twitter.com/iRvwLFC4pv
— ericaf455 (@ericaf455) May 9, 2026
The initial worry was that Clark was dealing with something in her groin because Holly Rowe suggested that during the ESPN broadcast. This was worrisome because recurring groin issues had plagued Clark throughout last season.
Fever head coach Stephanie White was asked about the broadcast mentioning Clark's groin and hip flexor during the broadcast, and said, "That's the first time I've heard that. I think, it's just part of maintaining the body. As she has adjusted her body... When we're all really young, we don't learn proper mechanics. And it doesn't get exposed until something happens. Trying to get her body, mechanically, the way that it needs to go.
"This is going to be an ongoing thing. Not just her... We don't have the blue tent [like the NFL], but they're going to go back and get adjusted, and make sure that the body is working," White continued. "So nothing outside of that."
This reassurance from White and Clark should allow Fever fans to breathe a sigh of relief, despite the opening-day defeat.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the Indiana Fever 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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