Indiana Fever’s Sudden Move On Caitlin Clark’s Historic Anniversary Sparks Fan Buzz Over Her Comeback

Clark’s been sidelined since July 15 with that right groin injury, missing 13 straight games—something totally foreign for her after never missing a single game in four years at Iowa, a streak of 139 appearances. But let’s step away from the setbacks for a second and celebrate a special milestone: her one-year anniversary of breaking the WNBA rookie assists record.

On August 18 last year, Clark dropped “23 PTS, 5 REB, 9 AST, 3 STL + BLK Broke the WNBA record for the most assists in a rookie season.” as Polymarket Hoops posted on X. It came in the Fever’s 92-75 win over the Seattle Storm, when she hit 232 assists to pass Ticha Penicheiro’s rookie mark of 224 set back in 1998. She did it in just 28 games—two fewer than Penicheiro—and by the end of her rookie year, Clark had piled up 769 points and 337 assists, both the most ever by a WNBA rookie.

But here’s where things got even more interesting on Clark’s anniversary.

Caitlin Clark on this day in 2024:

23 PTS
5 REB
9 AST
3 STL + BLK

Broke the WNBA record for the most assists in a rookie season.pic.twitter.com/LaLlfnSnNq

— Polymarket Hoops (@PolymarketHoops) August 18, 2025

The Fever quietly released Kyra Lambert, who had just signed a seven-day deal on August 14, as reported by Underdog WNBA on X: “Kyra Lambert has been released by the Fever.” Lambert, who built her pro career in Europe and even won the Greek A1 League with Olympiacos, barely had time to unpack. She averaged 15.4 points and 6.3 assists overseas and was even named EuroCup’s Guard of the Year. But after playing 0 minutes against Connecticut on August 17, her short stint in Indiana is now over.

So, what does this mean? With Caitlin Clark, Aari McDonald, and Sydney Colson all out, Lambert’s signing made sense for depth. But her release has fans buzzing—could this be a sign that Clark’s return is closer than we think? Fever fans are already spinning their own theories, wondering if White cleared that roster spot with Clark in mind.

Clark’s return becomes the question after Fever’s latest update

Fans had mixed emotions after the Fever waived Kyra Lambert. One summed it up best: “I’m not getting my hopes up until we hear anything officially official but thank you Kyra Lambert for a very impactful 4 seconds we will remember you fondly.” After playing a grand total of 0 minutes of game time across two outings before being cut, the comment was equal parts sarcastic and bittersweet. The Fever themselves haven’t tied her release to Caitlin Clark’s potential return – or even addressed it at all – but that hasn’t stopped fans from connecting dots. And there’s reason enough. As Chloe Peterson of IndyStar reported earlier, Indiana would eventually need to waive either Odyssey Sims or Lambert to make room for Clark. And with Sims’ 7-day contract renewed on Sunday, it was Lambert who drew the short straw.

Another fan put it bluntly: “The fact that across 2 games she got literally < 1 minute told me she wasn’t going to work out. They used her in practice and wasn’t a good fit. On to the next. I don’t think this actually correlates to CC’s return as much as it was non-fit on the roster.” Stephanie White had originally praised Lambert’s preparation, speed, and quickness when she signed, saying, “[Lambert’s] ability to get downhill, she’s got some speed and quickness as well,” White added. ” Now, since Lambert couldn’t settle into those roles, she was let go. It’s worth noting here that when Lambert was signed, many thought the Fever were going to part ways with Sims since she finished with just 0 points in 13 minutes in her Fever debut.

However, in the past two games, Sims has been proving her worth—dropping 19 points, 4 rebounds, and a team-high 7 assists right behind Kelsey Mitchell’s monster 38-point game. If the Fever keep holding strong in the standings, Sims will be a big reason, and she’ll also be a solid insurance piece when Clark comes back.