Here's What We Know About Caitlin Clark's Back Injury

There's context to Caitlin Clark missing the Indiana Fever's May 20 game with what was described as back soreness.

Caitlin Clark | IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

Indiana Fever star guard Caitlin Clark was inactive for her team's May 20 game against the Portland Fire after being a late scratch due to what head coach Stephanie White described as back soreness.

There has been a lot of discussion about the Fever's handling of Clark's status, specifically because she wasn't included in the pregame injury report until the last moment. While this might have consequences, Fever fans care most about Clark being healthy. And the nature of back injuries, combined with Clark's injuries last season, makes No. 22's back the biggest story in women's basketball right now.

Here's everything we know about Clark's back issue, starting with when it first became apparent she was getting it cared for earlier this season.

Caitlin Clark | IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

May 9: Caitlin Clark's Heating Pad and Locker Room Returns Spark Concern

The Fever opened their 2026 regular season with a home game against the Dallas Wings. Clark was taken back to the locker room, which sparked buzz about what she might be doing or getting worked on. Then she returned to Indiana's bench with a heating pad on her lower back but still finished the game.

Clark was asked about why she went back into the locker room postgame and essentially shut the narrative down right then, saying, "[I was] 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."

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

Clark's nonchalant nature, her finishing that game, and no further mention about any back issues made most forget about her back, despite her wearing that heating pad on the bench in subsequent games.

May 13: Clark Speaks About 'Mental Hurdle' of Overcoming Injuries

A few days later, comments Clark made about the mental side of dealing with injuries before playing the Los Angeles Sparks got attention.

"I think the hardest part of injury, and still something I'm still really battling and almost struggling with, is just the mental hump of getting over everything. And I understand my body almost too well, to a point now. And it's something I wasn't enough in touch with before my injuries, and now I understand it very well. You just become hypercautious about certain things," Clark said, per a YouTube post from the Fever.

She then noted how she got confidence from being able to return to the game on May 9 after getting her back adjusted.

"But it's gonna take me a little bit to get me over this mental hurdle, and trusting my body," she added. "I feel really good. It's just continuing to work on the mental side of injuries for myself."

May 19: Clark Doesn't Practice With Fever But Doesn't Appear on Injury Report

Less than a week after those comments in Los Angeles, the Fever are preparing for their May 20 tilt against the Portland Fire. Indiana's initial pregame injury report said the team was dealing with no injuries, and there had been no mention of Clark's back at any point since the Wings game.

Status Report for tomorrow's game vs. Portland:

No injuries. pic.twitter.com/pAlSO5iKuL

— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) May 19, 2026

We later learn from Fever head coach Stephanie White that Clark didn't practice with the team on Tuesday, instead getting treatment on her back and then doing individual workouts afterward. But because they expected her to play on Thursday, they didn't include her on the injury report.

May 20: Clark Doesn't Play, Questions About Injury Handling Arise

Then, about 90 minutes before tip-off on Thursday, the Fever announced that Clark isn't active for the game. Fever reporter Scott Agness said this decision was owed to "strategic management" in an X post, but White seemed to contradict this with her pregame comments.

"No, absolutely not. She's healthy. We're not managing anything. This is just a back issue that we want to make sure that we give the time to be ready," White said, per a YouTube video from the Fever.

She also added, "[Clark] just woke up with some stiffness, and soreness... For us, it's not the time to take a chance. We just really want to be cautious."

When White was asked whether there's any concern about this ailment after today, she said, "No. There's not."

Caitlin Clark | IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

White was also asked about Clark postgame, after the Fever's win over Portland. She was asked directly whether Clark is injured and said, "Her back is sore. If there's anything more detailed than that, that's the training staff."

That's where things currently stand as of May 21. The next update will regard whether Clark practices on Thursday, along with whether she speaks to the media and what the pregame injury report for Friday's game against the Golden State Valkyries says.

In the meantime, Fever fans can hope that Clark not playing is more a byproduct of the "mental hurdle" about overcoming injuries she alluded to before playing the Sparks and less about anything serious or significant.