Caitlin Clark will miss the rest of the WNBA season, ending the campaign of the league’s biggest star.
“I had hoped to share a better update, but I will not be returning to play this season,” Clark wrote on X on Thursday evening. “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 only played in 13 games this season due to injury. Her last appearance for her team, Indiana Fever, came on 15 July when she suffered a groin injury. She had earlier missed time with a quad injury, and also dealt with a bone bruise.
“I want to thank everyone who had my back through all the uncertainty,” Clark wrote in her statement. “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.”
The Fever had hoped the 23-year-old would return for the end of the regular season as they battle for a place in the playoffs. They have three more games to play, against the Sky, Mystics and Lynx and have not yet sealed their place in the postseason.
Clark had participated in light practice earlier this week but the Fever were more concerned about her long-term fitness.
“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.”
Clark became one of the most famous athletes in America after her outstanding college career with Iowa. The Fever chose her with the No 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft, and she broke several records on her way to being named rookie of the year. This season she averaged 16.5 points, 8.8 assists and 5.0 rebounds a game, but never managed to remain fully fit.
