WNBA royalty Sue Bird recently weighed in on the ongoing Caitlin Clark saga and she is not buying the outrage.
Clark skipped practice May 20 to receive treatment for a back issue. She woke up stiff and sore the following morning. Indiana ruled her out less than two hours before tipoff against the Portland Fire.
The Fever had not listed her on the injury report the day prior, and the league took notice. Indiana received an official warning from the WNBA. Rest must be reported even when it is an acceptable reason for sitting a player.
Bird had heard enough. On the latest episode of her podcast, "A Touch More with Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe," the Hall of Famer made her position clear.
"There's really nothing to be said here — literally," Bird said. "It is so normal for a player to not practice the day before a game, and it means nothing. It is also very normal and possible to wake up on game day and have something happen where you don't feel good and you don't play."
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Bird spoke from experience. During her decorated playing career, she recalled instances of waking up sore and dealing with injury without prior warning. That is the reality of professional basketball.
The four-time WNBA champion and Hall of Famer sided firmly with Indiana's decision to err on the side of caution with their franchise player. Clark played just 13 games in 2025 due to a series of injuries, including groin and ankle issues.
"I think it's frustrating because here is a player who was hurt last year and was dealing with an injury that kept her out," Bird continued. "She's now come back, and she talked about how it's more of a mental navigation than anything else."
Bird urged critics to move on and look at what Clark is actually doing on the court.
"What's interesting about talking about her having to manage this is that she has actually looked super healthy. She looks like she has her speed back," Bird said. "The fact that she can go downhill so fast, stop, and shoot the three. Go downhill so fast and find her teammates. Go downhill so fast and finish at the rim."
