On Wednesday against the Los Angeles Sparks, Caitlin Clark returned to action for the Indiana Fever after a two-game absence. She missed their previous meetings with the Sparks and Las Vegas Aces due to a back injury she sustained on June 24 against the Phoenix Mercury.
However, because it had been two weeks since Clark last played competitively, head coach Stephanie White and the Fever decided to put her on a minutes restriction during their latest showdown.
Clark played just 16 minutes against the Sparks and finished with nine points on 4-of-12 shooting, along with four rebounds, three assists and one steal.
With Aliyah Boston also out due to a leg injury, the Fever suffered a 106-92 loss and dropped to 12-9 on the season. They are now seventh in the WNBA standings.
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When asked about Clark's performance and the decision behind her limited playing time, especially considering that she would not be suiting up on Thursday in the second game of a back-to-back, White explained that the All-Star guard needed more time to get her conditioning back.
"Anytime you've missed a couple of weeks, it's going to take some time to to get acclimated," White stated in her postgame press conference. "I think it's going to take some time to build endurance. You haven't really been able to practice all that much either. They pressure her 94 feet. So, again, you got to make sure that you're able to withstand some of that."
White added that "it's never easy when you're reintegrating after injury." That being said, she remains confident that Clark is "going to continue to be better" as she gets back into rhythm.
After the Mercury game on Thursday, the Fever will have a couple of days of rest before facing the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday. As such, hopes are high that Clark can carry a heavier workload after practicing with the team more.
