The Indiana Fever could be punished by the WNBA for failing to disclose Caitlin Clark’s injury the day before their game against the Portland Fire.
Clark, 24, was pulled from the Fever lineup with a back problem just two hours before tipoff in Indiana on Wednesday night, despite not being included on her team’s injury report.
Head coach Stephanie White then revealed in her pregame press conference that her star player ‘woke up with some stiffness and some soreness’ in her back, meaning they took no risks with her against the Fire.
‘For us, it’s not the time to take a chance,’ she added. ‘We just really want to be cautious.’
Yet, White also said that Clark had sat out Tuesday’s practice while receiving medical treatment for the issue, before completing her own session afterwards.
And given WNBA rules state that teams must report all injuries and player absences by 5pm local time the day prior to a game, the Fever may have violated those regulations by not listing Clark on their injury report Tuesday.
The Indiana Fever could get a WNBA penalty for failing to disclose Caitlin Clark’s latest injury
Clark was pulled from Indiana’s lineup two hours before tipoff Wednesday with a back problem
White attempted to backtrack by insisting the former WNBA Rookie of the Year is ‘healthy’ despite her back pain, while claiming the decision was ‘absolutely not’ related to load management.
‘She’s healthy,’ she said about Clark. ‘We’re not managing anything. This is just a back issue that we want to make sure we give the time to be ready.’
However, since she did not practice with the team on Tuesday, Clark’s injury status should have been reported to the WNBA the day before Wednesday’s game rather than minutes prior to tipoff.
‘WNBA teams must report information concerning player injuries, illnesses, other medical conditions, or rest for all WNBA games,’ the league’s reporting requirements state. ‘By 5pm local time the day before a game (other than the second day of a back-to-back), teams must designate a participation status and identify a specific injury, illness, other medical condition, or other reason for any player whose participation in the game may be affected for any reason. For the second game of a back-to-back, teams must report the above information by 1pm local time on the day of the game.’
While the league has fined teams for failing to report injuries in the past, there is no specific guideline on how to penalize WNBA teams for such offenses, with punishments typically issued on a case-by-case basis. The WNBA is also not required to announce if it is probing or penalizing the Fever.
The news of Clark’s injury left fans devastated on Wednesday, with many having bought a ticket just to see the WNBA’s biggest star in action.
Indiana still picked up the win without her, nevertheless, with Aliyah Boston registering 24 points, eight rebounds and three assists in a 90-73 victory over Portland.
While it is the first game she has missed in the 2026 season, Clark sat out 31 games during the 2025 campaign with a series of lower body and groin injuries.
