Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark will not play in the upcoming game against the Los Angeles Sparks, coach Stephanie White told reporters on Friday morning. While so far she is only set to miss this game -- scheduled for 8 p.m. ET this Saturday night on CBS and Paramount+ -- White added that there is currently "no indication" of how much time Clark could miss.
"She's ok. She will be out on Saturday, but she is doing alright," White said.
"No indication (of how long she is going to be out). Obviously it's a good time because we have (no games) all week next week, so we'll take this opportunity to get her treatment, get her healthy, get her back on the floor and see what happens. The same thing, long-term health and wellness is the most important thing."
Caitlin Clark is going to be out on Saturday, Steph White says.
— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) June 26, 2026
“No indication” on how long she’ll be out, but White says their week off next week is a good time to get her treatment. pic.twitter.com/THPUQfekdv
Clark left the court during the third quarter of Wednesday's 111-109 loss to the Phoenix Mercury because of back issues. There were a few controversial moments during that game, but the biggest one happened in the second quarter when Clark went down while attempting to drive to the basket and Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas pressed her fist into her throat. While no foul was called on the play during the game, the WNBA announced on Thursday that it retroactively issued Thomas a Flagrant 2 and gave her a one-game suspension.
Although that incident certainly could have contributed to her back pain, Clark has been dealing with back issues since the beginning of the season. This was supposed to be her bounce-back year after only playing 13 games all of 2025 due to multiple injuries. However, Clark's health has been in question since the season opener on May 9 after she left to the locker room multiple times to get her back adjusted.
A few weeks later, she was a late scratch before the game against the Portland Fire because of her back -- a situation that earned the Fever a warning for failing to list her in the original injury report.
Despite not being 100%, Clark has still been a major contributor for the Fever with 21.2 points per contest, which is even better than the 19.2 points per game she averaged during her 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year campaign. She also has a team-high 8.2 assist per game, which is second best across the league, just behind Alyssa Thomas.
The expectations were high for the Fever at the start of the season, with Clark's return being a major factor. They were predicted to finish third by CBS Sports' Jack Maloney, but so far they are hanging around the middle of the pack with a 10-8 overall record.
Even without Clark, the Fever have a chance to continue improving their record as they host the Sparks on Saturday night. Unfortunately, Los Angeles, 8-9 overall, is another team being affected by injuries. Cameron Brink is out indefinitely after suffering a left ankle sprain earlier this month. Meanwhile, Kelsey Plum will be out at least four weeks because of a leg injury.
