Caitlin Clark Ruled Out For Fever vs. Sparks After Taking Dirty Hit

Unfortunately, Caitlin Clark won't be on the hardwood this Saturday night when the Indiana Fever take on the Los Angeles Sparks.

Clark suffered a back injury this Wednesday night against the Phoenix Mercury. Although it's unclear when she started feeling discomfort, she was on the wrong end of a cheap shot from Alyssa Thomas. The All-Star forward was caught hitting Clark in the throat with her fist.

“Absolutely disrespectful. We spent all offseason looking at officiating, and I still say the one thing that we keep asking for is consistency,” Fever coach Stephanie White said after the game. “[Clark] is not called the same way as everybody else is called. The fist in the throat is crazy. It’s crazy. It’s dangerous. … When you have these things continue to happen time and time and time again, eventually it gets frustrating."

White hinted that Clark could miss time since the Fever want to prioritize her long-term health. It wasn't until this Friday morning, however, that she was ruled out for this weekend's showdown with the Sparks.

"She's okay. She's going to be out on Saturday," White told reporters. "No indication [on how long she's going to be out]. Obviously, it's a good time since we have all week [off] next week. We'll take this opportunity to get her treatment, get her healthy and get her back on the floor."

The WNBA is under serious pressure.

Countless media members, including FOX Sports host Colin Cowherd, are calling for the WNBA to start protecting Clark. Clearly, commissioner Cathy Engelbert hasn't done a great job of that since Clark entered the league in 2024.

“The WNBA just keeps driving into a wall at full speed with Caitlin Clark. They have a commemorative poster for 30 years of the WNBA; Caitlin Clark isn’t on it. This isn’t an ode to the veterans who started the league – Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese are on it. When she broke into the league, you [the WNBA] moved her road games to accommodate the fans. She made such an impact that you transitioned to private jets. And yet Caitlin isn’t on the 30-year poster,” Cowherd said. “Her games got double the ratings of A’ja Wilson, the best player in the league. This is a paranoid, weird, insular league.”

Former NFL star LeSean McCoy declared, "If Caitlin Clark keeps getting fouled like this, there won’t be a WNBA."

Only time will tell if Wednesday's cheap shot ends up being a turning point for Clark and the WNBA.