Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark returned to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Thursday for her first home game in more than nine months. Unfortunately, it wasn't exactly a celebration on the hardwood.
Clark scored 21 points during her final preseason game of the year, but the Fever still suffered a 95-80 loss. To make matters worse, she suffered a knee injury during the second half of action.
Dallas Wings forward Alanna Smith collided with Clark as she was attempting a shot. The NCAA's all-time leading scorer fell to the floor and immediately grabbed her knee. This was a concerning moment for Indiana fans, especially since Clark missed the majority of the 2025 season with a groin injury.
Clark, a two-time All-Star, made her free throws before limping over to the bench. As you'd imagine, she missed the rest of the game.
Smith, on the other hand, was assessed a flagrant 1 for her foul on Clark. Some fans are convinced she wanted to hurt the sharpshooting guard.
© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images.
"I'm so disgusted. If she ends up injured again and out for long period of time I'm done with this league for good," one fan said.
"Alanna Smith is trying to injure Caitlin," a second fan declared.
"Alanna Smith WTF! It’s a preseason game game… check the landing space," another fan said.
"She has a target on her back," a social media user wrote. "They hate her and will never stop trying to squash her."
Thankfully, Caitlin Clark avoided a serious injury.
Even though Indiana fans were dealt quite a scare Thursday night, Clark made it clear that she's going to be just fine.
"I feel good. I just landed on my kneecap really hard," Clark told reporters. "I know there's a committee of people that really wanted them [the refs] to start calling things, and I thought they did a great job of that. Honestly, I thought the refs were great, and it's preseason, so you're probably going to see more fouls called. I expect that number to drop. But I think overall, it's going to improve the product
The Fever will begin their regular season on May 9 against the Wings. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. ET.
We're certainly hoping Clark avoids the injury bug this season.
