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Caitlin Clark Reveals 'Hardest Part' of Injury Recovery Process

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark got honest about missing time on the court amid her quad injury.
Grant Young|
May 17, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) in the second half against the Chicago Sky at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
May 17, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) in the second half against the Chicago Sky at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark spoke with the media on Thursday, June 5, which is the first time she has done so since news broke last week that she suffered a left quad strain during the team's May 24 game against the New York Liberty, and would therefore be sidelined for at least two weeks.

Clark offered up several fascinating insights and soundbites about her injury during this post-practice interview. And one was when she was talking about what has been particularly challenging while coming back from this injury.

When asked how this injury has tested Clark's patience, she said, "Yeah, I think it's an opportunity to grow, right? Just try to approach it in the best way I can. It's certainly weird," per an X post from the Fever's social media account.

"I think at times, the hardest part is just not being able to be involved in practice. Like, I love practice. Not a ton of people enjoy coming to practice every single day, but that's something that I really enjoy. I really enjoyed coming out here every single day and competing every single day with my teammates. That's probably what I honestly miss the most.

"Obviously, I miss the games. That goes for anybody that's ever hurt. But I love practice, I love getting better... I've never been a patient person all my life, so this is definitely testing me a little bit. But I think it's gonna be really good for me," she added.

Clark has appeared visibly antsy and anxious to be on the practice court with her teammates in several clips since her injury occurred. The hope is now that it won't be long before she's back playing with them, both in practice and during games.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

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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