Fever Get Major Caitlin Clark News Before Liberty Game
Caitlin Clark will pick up right where she left off: against the New York Liberty.
The Indiana Fever's sophomore sensation will make her return to action when the Liberty visit Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon (3 p.m. ET, ABC), ending a five-game absence due to a quad injury.
"I knew I was feeling really good. So that wasn't a surprise by any means that it looked that way when we saw, when we had the imaging done," Clark said of her status, per Chloe Peterson of the Indianapolis Star. "I'm super, super excited, antsy to get out there, probably shake off a little bit of rust."
Clark's last appearance on an WNBA court was on May 24 against the Liberty, as New York and Indiana staged an early contender for the W's game of the year: both sides overcame double-figure deficits before the Liberty eventually prevailed in a 90-88 final thanks to free throws from Sabrina Ionescu.
Clark, who put up an 18-point, 10-assist double-double (while losing 10 turnovers), had a potential game-winner rejected by Natasha Cloud as time expired. The Fever (4-5) subsequently went 2-3 in Clark's absence, which coincided with similar departures for Sophie Cunningham (ankle) and head coach Stephanie White (personal reasons).
The winner of Saturday's game will take the Eastern Conference lead in the Commissioner's Cup standings. The perfect Liberty (9-0) currently hold the edge while Indiana is 2-1, though pursuing Atlanta holds the tiebreaker after earning a 77-58 triumph over the Clark-less Fever on Tuesday.
The Liberty are likewise dealing with an ailment to a major player, as the status of Jonquel Jones is up in the air after she missed Tuesday's win over the Chicago Sky with an ankle injury. Jones worked to the side during practice on Thursday afternoon, working with player development coach Andrew Wade.
Geoff Magliocchetti is a veteran sportswriter who contributes to a variety of sites on the "On SI" network. In addition to the Yankees/Mets, Geoff also covers the New York Knicks, New York Liberty, and New York Giants and has previously written about the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Staten Island Yankees, and NASCAR.