'Disappointed' Clark to miss rest of Fever season

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2025 WNBA season due to injury, she announced on social media Thursday night.

Clark, the 2024 No. 1 pick, had been limited to 13 games this season and hadn't appeared since July 15 when she suffered a right groin injury in the final minute of the Fever's win over the Connecticut Sun.

"I had hoped to share a better update, but I will not be returning to play this season," Clark posted. "I spent hours in the gym every day with the singular goal of getting back out there, disappointed isn't a big enough word to describe how I am feeling."

Clark has also missed time this season with left quad and left groin injuries. ESPN also confirmed that she suffered a bone bruise in her left ankle during a workout in August that she had to rehab concurrently with her groin.

"I want to thank everyone who had my back through all the uncertainty," Clark posted. "This has been incredibly frustrating, but even in the bad, there is good. The way the fans continued to show up for me, and for the Fever, brought me so much joy and important perspective. I am so proud of how this team has only gotten stronger through adversity this year. Now it's time to close out the season and claim our spot in the Playoffs."

Indiana coach Stephanie White said earlier Thursday that the team wanted to use its recent West Coast trip to evaluate the path forward for Clark and planned to "sit down after practice today and hopefully have a direction soon."

White had said the team was hopeful Clark would return by the end of the regular season, but the two-time All-Star was unable to be fully reincorporated back into practices ahead of the Fever's regular-season finale Tuesday.

Indiana is still contending with Golden State, Seattle and Los Angeles for one of three remaining playoff spots.

Clark went up and down the floor in 5-on-0 drills earlier this week but has not done much contact work, White said Thursday. All along, the Fever have stressed they would put Clark's long-term well-being first.

"Caitlin has worked so hard throughout this time, doing everything possible to recover and return to the court but, ultimately, time is not on our side," Fever chief operating officer and general manager Amber Cox said in a statement. "While we will continue working with Caitlin and provide her with every resource we have available, there is not enough time left in our season for her to safely return, and her long-term health and well-being remains our top priority. We are looking forward to having her back at full strength to start the 2026 season."

The guard averaged 16.5 points, 8.8 assists and 5.0 rebounds in 2025, not playing more than five consecutive games throughout the summer.

Clark never missed a game in her collegiate career or her first year in the WNBA. She spent the offseason in Indianapolis and got rave reviews for her consistent hard work on the court and in the weight room.

Her second season, however, ended up defined by her absence, as she was unable to fully follow up on a stellar rookie campaign that saw her earn All-WNBA first-team honors, come in fourth in MVP voting and catalyze tremendous growth in the league's popularity.

The Fever have now lost five players for the season due to injury: Clark; fellow guards Aari McDonald (foot), Sydney Colson (knee) and Sophie Cunningham (knee); and forward Chloe Bibby (knee), who was ruled out earlier Thursday.