“I’m really excited. I think Kelly [Krauskopf] and Amber [Cox] have done a really good job of finding pieces that fit. It makes me excited about the future,” Caitlin Clark had said ahead of the season, full of hope and optimism. This was supposed to be “the season” for her. The Fever front office had made big-name signings like Natasha Howard and DeWanna Bonner, and looked ready to contend, with Caitlin all set to lead from the front. But her sophomore W season has continued to go from bad to worse.
It all began in the month of May when it was announced that Caitlin Clark would miss two weeks of action due to a left quadriceps strain. It was a huge blow–not just for the Fever, but for Clark herself. After all, it was the first time in her entire career that she had to miss a game. She ended up sitting out five games before making a comeback.
But the much-anticipated comeback lasted just four games as Clark would suffer a groin injury. The result? Another five games on the sidelines. That’s 10 out of 22 games missed this season. Far from ideal for someone who was expected to be in the MVP conversation. But if you thought her injury troubles ended there–you’d be mistaken!
Tonight, horror swept through the 19,000 fans inside TD Garden. With just over 30 seconds left on the clock, Caitlin Clark appeared to re-aggravate her groin injury once again, which left her in tears. A third injury, and we are just halfway through the season. Earlier in the game, Coach Stephanie White was seen pulling Clark aside for what looked like a personal message for her. That moment has since gone viral. So, what did she say? ESPN’s LaChina Robinson gave us an insight into it.
Caitlin Clark appeared to be in pain after this play late in the fourth quarter.
Clark returned to play last week after missing 5 games with a groin injury. pic.twitter.com/y78M3mDeCf
— espnW (@espnW) July 16, 2025
She said, “Not sure what Stephanie is saying there, but Pam, you spoke earlier about the drought for Caitlin Clark from long range. I would guess she is instilling some confidence in her. I am sure it’s frustrating for someone who makes shots with her eyes closed to be going through a stretch like this. “
Clark has struggled quite a lot this season with her shooting efficiency. Even before her groin injury, she wasn’t having the best of shooting nights. She shot just 26.5% from the field and went 1-for-23 from beyond the arc. Not ideal for a player of her calibre.
And since returning from it? She has just 6 threes from 26 attempts. Her field goal attempts haven’t been great either. She could only make 17 shots out of her 55 attempts. These numbers are not what you expect from Clark, but it was clear that injuries were bothering her. So that viral moment between Coach White and Clark in the third quarter? It likely wasn’t strategy–it looked more like a coach simply lifting up her star when she needed it most.
There’s still no official update on Caitlin Clark’s injury status, but her teammate Kelsey Mitchell did speak about how the team plans to support her through this shooting slump.
Kelsey Mitchell addresses Caitlin Clark’s shooting slump
Before going down with yet another injury tonight, Caitlin Clark was struggling with her shooting again. She went 4-of-14 from the field and hit just one of her seven attempts from deep. It was clear that her groin was bothering her, restricting her from playing freely. But teammate Kelsey Mitchell had a different take on what’s behind Clark’s recent slump.
In the post-game conference, she said, “I think it’s just about making sure she feels comfortable, getting what she needs, and finding the spots to get. Caitlin is one of those people you just have to see, won’t go in. Uh, man, we’re going to start a job to make sure that happens, and so, what you see won’t go in and get yourself going. It makes it easy for everybody else.”
It remains to be seen how long Clark will be out for. And when she returns, will she be able to last more than 4 games? So far, that hasn’t been the case. It’ll also be worth watching how the Fever adjust and work to get her better looks once she’s back. Stay tuned for all the latest updates!
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