Caitlin Clark has dealt with a lingering back issue since the very first game of the 2026 season. Now that the Indiana Fever is completing a four-game stretch at home, her availability is officially in question.
What Is Caitlin Clark’s Injury Status?
The Fever have announced that Clark is available for tonight’s 7:30 p.m. ET matchup against the Golden State Valkyries. The update comes via reporter Scott Agness.
Clark was ruled out for Wednesday’s game against the Portland Fire, the first game she has missed in the 2026 season. But then the back issue was what forced her to leave the floor and go to the locker room during the game against the Dallas Wings.
Status Update: Caitlin Clark (back) is available for tonight’s game. https://t.co/1lFgLoAZqy
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) May 22, 2026
After the Wings game, she told ESPN’s Kendra Andrews, “That moment where my back tightened up, I think I almost got confidence from that because I came back in and I played eight more minutes, so I felt great. It’s something I can take confidence from. But it’s going to take me a little bit to really get over the mental hurdle of trusting my body.”
Given everything Clark has been through, that mental hurdle is entirely understandable. The two-time All-Star appeared in just 13 games during the entire 2025 season due to a series of soft tissue injuries, a left quad strain, a left groin injury, and ultimately a right groin injury that ended her year in July.
When she has been healthy this season, Clark has been balling. She is averaging 24.3 points, 9 assists, and 5 rebounds per game, a production level that makes Indiana’s backcourt the only pair of teammates in the WNBA this season scoring north of 23 points per game, with Kelsey Mitchell matching her.
In the Fever’s 89-78 win over the Seattle Storm, Clark put up 21 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds, her 12th career game with 20-plus points and 10-plus assists, a WNBA record.
There was some more drama that the Fever had to face because of their reporting as well. The franchise didn’t report Clark’s injury earlier before they faced the Fire. And they also received a warning from the WNBA that the subsequent violations of the Player Participation Policy will result in harsher punishments.
With the Fever sitting at 3-2 and Friday representing the final game of a four-game homestand at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the stakes are clear. Indiana will also visit the Valkyries six days later on the road, meaning this back-to-back series is crucial for them.
Now that Clark has been officially cleared to play, Fever fans will be able to breathe a sigh of relief. She is Indiana’s primary scoring option, and the team is obviously built around her. It will be interesting to see how the superstar performs tonight against a talented and energetic Valkyries team.
