Caitlin Clark was electric this season. The second-year sensation led the league with 9.3 assists per game, dished out 11 dimes in a single game—the second-most by any player this year—and swatted four shots in one outing, trailing only teammate Aliyah Boston for the most blocks in a game. Even during a cold shooting stretch, she still ranked fourth in made threes, drilling 2.8 per game. offense or defense—you name it, and Clark was ready to show up on the sheet for either.
But now? The engine of Indiana’s offense is parked courtside—leg braced, playbook in hand, and fire momentarily on pause.
So what happens when your floor general is forced to watch from the bench?
How does Caitlin Clark cope? How does Indiana adjust?
Head coach Stephanie White has an answer.
“Now she’s going to see it on the sideline. She’s going to be hearing us talk about it on the sideline from a coach’s perspective… It gives her an opportunity to see it from a different lens,” said White, confirming Clark’s new role.
This new lens isn’t optional—it’s a necessity. Clark, who never missed a game during her four years at Iowa and played every game as a pro rookie, is sidelined with a fresh injury to her left quad. Though she also missed Indiana’s preseason opener with a knock to the same leg, White clarified this is a new issue. The timeline? At least four games: Washington on May 28, Connecticut on May 30, Washington again on June 3, and Chicago on June 7.
The timing couldn’t be worse. The Fever built their offensive identity around Clark’s deep shooting and playmaking. She led the league in threes attempted and made last season—volume that’s near impossible to replicate. Now, Indiana has to adjust on the fly.
“Yeah, we’re going to start Sid at the point tomorrow. We’re going to give that a look,” said White. “Sophie’s going to get a heavy dose of it as well.”
Sydney Colson, the 35-year-old veteran with 2 WNBA titles to her name, is first in line. She’s seen it all—but she’s rarely started. In fact, Colson has only started one game in her last 132 and just 10 games total across her 244-game career. Still, she brings something that can’t be coached: resilience.
“I’m just the kind of person, I stay ready so I don’t have to get ready,” Colson told reporters. “If my name is called, I’ll be ready. If it’s not, I’ll be ready to support and be vocal.”
Her name’s been called. But the other half of this replacement equation is where it gets murky.
Enter Sophie Cunningham.
Acquired in a 4-team deal back in February, Cunningham was supposed to be a scoring spark off the bench. A 36.3% career three-point shooter, she’s started 72 games over the past three seasons with Phoenix and averaged over 10 points per game. She missed the first two games of the season with a right ankle injury suffered in the preseason finale. She’s played 20 minutes in each of the last two games—but all is not well.
“Yeah, no, I do feel close,” Cunningham said when asked about her readiness. “I’ve just been eating like a freaking cow lately, so I need to chill out on that.”
She said it with a laugh, but the context paints a different picture.
“It’s funny because you feel so good going into training camp. You get injured in a preseason game, then you don’t really do anything for two weeks. Two days is hard on you, so imagine two weeks,” she added. “But I really am feeling good. It sucks she’s out now, but overall I think our team’s doing pretty well.”
The Fever will need more than “pretty well.” Without Clark’s scoring gravity, Cunningham’s ability to knock down threes becomes mission-critical. But if she’s not in game shape yet, and Colson is logging starter minutes for the first time in years, Indiana’s backcourt becomes a question mark in bold.
Coach White is trying to balance it all. Managing minutes, managing egos, and now, managing perspectives—from the sideline to the locker room.
“There’s varying levels to how you see the game as a player in year 1–2, as a player in year 9–10, and as a coach, an assistant coach, and all those things,” Head Coach Stephanie said. “I also think it gives Caitlin an opportunity for growth.”
And maybe that’s where Clark’s role actually begins to matter more. From leading on the floor to learning beside the coaches, her second season in the W might just shape her third in ways a box score never could.
Clark’s Injury Sends Ticket Prices Tumbling Across the League
While Coach Stephanie White may have had contingencies in place, Indiana fans—and the WNBA at large—weren’t ready for this. The moment Clark’s injury was announced, the ripple effect hit more than just the Fever’s rotation. It rocked the league’s ticket markets.
According to data from TickPick (via USA Today), the average purchase price for the four games Clark will miss dropped 41.6 %, falling from $137 to $80 overnight.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts after being injured during the first half of an WNBA basketball game against the Connecticut Sun, Monday, May 20, 2024, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Wednesday’s matchup against the Washington Mystics at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore saw its get-in price plummet from $41 to just $22—a 47% drop. That game had been moved from Washington’s smaller CareFirst Arena to the larger Baltimore venue to meet demand for Clark. Now? The cheapest ticket sells for just $14.
Her anticipated June 7 rivalry game vs. Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky took an even bigger hit. Moved to United Center—a historic first for the WNBA—the matchup once had a minimum ticket price of $86 on Sunday. By Tuesday night, it had sunk to $25. The average price? Down from $210 to $95, a 121% swing.
And it’s not just away games. For Indiana’s home dates—May 30 vs. Connecticut and June 3 vs. Washington—the cheapest tickets on TickPick are now just $13 and $11, respectively.
In total, the average price for the five Fever games through June 10 has dropped from $137 to $80. It’s a stark reminder of how closely the secondary market is tied to Caitlin Clark’s presence.
The only outlier? June 10 in Atlanta. The Dream’s Gateway Center Arena, the WNBA’s smallest venue with 3,500 seats, still lists get-in tickets at $147—likely driven by hopes of Clark’s return. That’s also the first game she’s eligible to play, if she gets cleared on June 9.
The post Indiana Fever HC Confirms Injured Caitlin Clark’s New Role Amid Replacement’s Worrying Health Admission appeared first on EssentiallySports.