Caitlin Clark’s Status Still Unclear After Fever Sign New Guard to Roster

Fever star Caitlin Clark's return date remains a mystery to anxious fans as Indiana shuffles roster after Sophie Cunningham injury.

Aug 7, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Indiana Fever injured guard Caitlin Clark in attendance against the Phoenix Mercury during an WNBA game at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Indiana Fever’s battle through a season riddled with injuries deepened Sunday as guard Sophie Cunningham went down in the matchup against the Connecticut Sun. Cunningham suffered a torn MCL in the process––making her the third Fever player this season to be ruled out for the year, joining Sydney Colson (ACL) and Aari McDonald (foot).

Breaking: Sophie Cunningham will miss the remainder of the WNBA season after suffering a right knee injury on Sunday, the Indiana Fever announced.

She is expected to make a full recovery. pic.twitter.com/OTyM3kTCeB

— espnW (@espnW) August 19, 2025

In the wake of Cunningham’s injury setback, the team announced the signing of 36-year old veteran guard Shey Peddy to a hardship contract on Tuesday, after releasing Kyra Lambert five days into her seven-day contract the day before.

we have signed Shey Peddy to a 7-day hardship contract.

welcome to Indy, @SheyP11 👋

more info: https://t.co/pazNkkdbG3 pic.twitter.com/E6gBO2rLKw

— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) August 19, 2025

But before Tuesday’s news, many fans were hopeful that Lambert’s release was a sign the Fever were making room for the potential return of superstar point guard Caitlin Clark, who has been sidelined since July 15 with a groin injury.

Some took to social media to celebrate prematurely with comments like, “my demon back soon.” Others, confused about why Lambert was cut without playing more than a few seconds in Sunday’s Fever-Sun game, asked eagerly, “Is this the return????,” showing the excitement around how eager fans are for clarity.

my demon is back soon pic.twitter.com/r8rJQenhVe

— I’ll never forget you Bobby Nash♡⋆*ೃ:. (@caitlinclarks) August 18, 2025

Fever Signing of Shey Peddy After Sophie Cunningham's Injury Unrelated to Caitlin Clark's Return

Jun 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; LA Sparks guard Shey Peddy (7) dribbles the ball in the first half against the Seattle Storm at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

However, a team spokesperson clarified to IndyStar that the roster move was unrelated to Clark’s return. The decision to replace Lambert with Peddy was centered on filling Cunningham’s veteran presence as much as possible while working within roster limitations.

The Fever currently have just two hardship slots—one already taken up by former Los Angeles Sparks guard Odyssey Sims, who has appeared in three games with Indiana. A third hardship spot will open after Friday’s matchup with Minnesota, once Cunningham officially misses a game, at which point Indiana is expected to add another player.

According to Chloe, the decision to replace Kyra with Shey stemmed from the desire to get more veteran leadership now that Sophie is out, which makes sense

Her article also says the Fever plan on signing a third hardship player as soon as Sophie officially misses a game which… https://t.co/HJsyg2M7jk

— CC Report (Taylor's Version) (@cc22report) August 19, 2025

Without Clark, a push to extend Indiana into a postseason run feels like an uphill climb. For now, the Fever’s signings are about plugging holes rather than rushing her back prematurely. But until the team provides a definitive update on Clark’s recovery timeline, fans are left refreshing injury reports and speculating about when the superstar will finally take the floor again.

Of course, there is still time for Clark to take the court for meaningful games given Indiana has managed to stay alive in the playoff picture amid injury. However, it appears to be anybody's guess as to when Fever fans can truly get excited about No.22's potential return.