Caitlin Clark assumed a surprising role on Wednesday night as the Indiana Fever lost to the Washington Mystics without her.
On Monday, the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year was ruled out for at least two weeks as the Fever announced she had a left quad strain.
But Clark still seemed to be in good spirits as she carried someone’s baby in her arms ahead of Wednesday’s game, as captured in a video from Yahoo! Sports.
Clark smiled as photographers took photos of them together, as she said to the young child: ‘This is your moment, smile!’
Fans joked that she was on ‘babysitting duty,’ while others suggested the child was lucky to be carried by the Fever star.
‘This kid has no idea he’s in the arms of a goat,’ one said.
Caitlin Clark was in good spirits on Wednesday night as she was sidelined with an injury
Clark was ruled out for at least two weeks with a left quad strain, the Fever said
Clark was also seen snapping photos with a camera before the game.
In their first game without the injured Clark, the Fever were beaten by their hosts 83-77 as Brittney Sykes led Washington with 21 points.
Meanwhile, DeWanna Bonner had 21 for the Fever in Clark’s absence, while Kelsey Mitchell also added 14.
The ultra-durable Clark had not missed a game since high school and had suited up in the first four games of the season for the Fever.
So it came as a shock on Monday when the team announced she would miss a ‘minimum of two weeks,’ with updates to her condition to be provided ‘following re-evaluation.’
Indiana fell to 2-3 on the season with their loss to Washington.
Through four games, Clark’s numbers have actually slightly dipped from her record-setting rookie campaign.
She’s shot 40.3 percent from the field so far (down from 41.7 percent), 31.4 percent from three (down from 34.4) and just 75 percent from the free throw line (down from 90.6).
Nonetheless, she’s still averaged 19 points, 9.3 assists and six rebounds per contest.
Clark was also seen snapping photos with a camera ahead of the game on Wednesday
She last played on May 24 against the defending-champion New York Liberty
While the Fever look set to be without Clark for at least three more games, Indiana coach Stephanie White told reporters that she was ‘glad’ that she was honest about her injury.
‘Sometimes great players don’t tell you when they’re hurting. I’m glad that she did because we need to nip this in the bud,’ she told reporters from practice.
‘There’s so many things when you think about Caitlin and her not wanting to miss games,’ White added. ‘Obviously, she’s a competitor and wants to play. Obviously, everyone wants to watch her play.
‘But for me, it’s maintaining perspective. It’s making sure that we address this in a way that doesn’t affect long term. That we take care of it, don’t over-push, don’t over- exert. Making sure that we take the long-game approach to this so that we’re not having lingering issues throughout the course of the season.’
