Caitlin Clark returned from a two-game absence during Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Sparks, but she was limited to just 16 minutes of playing time as the Indiana Fever eased her back into action.
It wasn't really a surprising decision since Clark had not played since June 24. Indiana had a seven-day break between its June 27 game against the Sparks and last Sunday's showdown with the Las Vegas Aces, which meant there was no opportunity for Clark to experience live game action for two weeks.
As a result, the Fever also had Clark playing in short spurts of two to three minutes throughout the game. She finished with nine points on 4-of-12 shooting, along with four rebounds, three assists and one steal. Indiana lost to L.A. 102-96.
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While Clark didn't hide her frustration with her limited playing time, she still tried to stay positive. In fact, she told Indiana's trainers after the loss that getting a good grasp of her conditioning was a "win" for her.
"I told our trainers after the game that it stinks we didn't win, and we didn't play very well, but I'll take it as a win how my body feels and how I really felt out there," Clark said, according to Chloe Peterson of the Indianapolis Star.
Clark added that she "didn't even feel very winded" during the game, which should provide a reason for optimism that she can take on a heavier workload and see more playing time in the next game.
The 24-year-old All-Star sat out the Fever's win against the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday, but she will get another opportunity to suit up soon. Indiana plays the Las Vegas Aces again on Sunday.
