INDIANAPOLIS — Caitlin Clark is out of All-Star weekend.
The Indiana Fever guard injured her right groin on Tuesday night in the final minute of the team's win over the Connecticut Sun. She said Thursday in a message posted on X that she was "sad and disappointed" to pull out of the All-Star Game and 3-Point Contest.
Clark was supposed to compete in a loaded 3-point contest Friday night and is the captain of one of the All-Star teams. The second-year guard was the leading vote getter from the fans and has been a huge reason the league has had a boon in attendance and ratings over the last two seasons.
Clark sat out the team’s 98-77 loss against New York.
Fever coach Stephanie White said Clark had imaging done Wednesday afternoon and deferred to the team’s training staff for more details, except to say that she considered it good news.
Clark got hurt with under a minute left. She walked downcourt holding her right groin after assisting on the Fever’s final basket. As teammate Aliyah Boston tried to console her, Clark walked to the basket stanchion and banged her head against it before heading to the bench. During the timeout, she covered her head with a towel and appeared to be holding back tears.
Clark had been durable throughout college and her first season in the WNBA, never missing a game. Now she’s had four different muscle injuries so far this year.
She missed the preseason opener with tightness in her quad but played the next day in an exhibition game at her alma mater, Iowa. She suffered a quad strain against New York on May 24 that kept her out for five games. Clark returned June 14 and played in five games before suffering another injury to her left groin that kept her out for four contests and the Commissioner’s Cup final.
