For Caitlin Clark, her preseason battle against fellow guard Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings wasn’t without hiccups. The Indiana Fever lost the game by 15 points in their first home appearance of the season at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. But beyond the results, it was a certain injury moment for Clark that stole the spotlight, prompting the player and head coach Stephanie White to assess the situation.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
It unfolded in the third quarter of the game when Clark was nailing baskets for fun. In the initial minutes of the quarter, Clark made a significant play, trying to score a stepover three-pointer over Alanna Smith, who, in turn, was making a tightrope effort to defend her. Because of it, the Fever guard didn’t have any landing space whatsoever and crashed on Smith’s foot, twisting her right ankle.
She immediately went to the bench with 7 minutes left in the third quarter, received medical supervision for the remainder of the game, and didn’t return to the locker room. The sequence looked quite daunting for the Indiana Fever. But Clark has since issued a message that will make the franchise and its fans feel much better. Speaking at the post-game press conference, Clark assured that she’s doing quite well and that there are no serious concerns about her injury. “I feel good,” she said. “I just landed hard on my knee cap.”
Caitlin Clark says she's fine. "I feel good." Just landed on her left kneecap. Praised the officials for how they called the game, a tight whistle.
When asked whether Clark will require further medical evaluation after the injury, head coach Stephanie White also reaffirmed, “no, I don’t think so.” “We had planned for her to come out about that time anyway, so it was just an extra precaution,” she added.
The anticipation of the fans around CC’s ankle isn’t happening in isolation. But it traces from her history with it. The Fever guard suffered an ankle bruise last season, which also depleted her game fitness a bit last season. Furthermore, it must be remembered that Clark is playing in the W after missing nearly 9 months of basketball.
Thus, a serious injury again amid this comeback could have been disastrous for the Fever, especially when she’s undoubtedly the team’s most important player and the team entirely revolves around her. But as CC and White mentioned, the injury doesn’t seem serious. Right after her crushing fall, the referees handed Smith a flagrant 1, giving Clark three free throws.
The Fever guard went 2 of 3 from the line, even after his ankle got twisted. It further supports the view that Clark’s injury is not daunting. Furthermore, she didn’t receive any substantial support from her teammates after the fall, which is a silver lining amid this concerning sequence of play.
In the 16 minutes Caitlin Clark played in the game, she looked far better than in the preseason opener against the New York Liberty. CC recorded 21 points in the game, going 4 of 6 in shooting and 2 of 3 from beyond the arc. Furthermore, she was quite precise from the line as well, scoring 11 of 13 in free throws. It was quite certain in the game that she was quietly crawling towards a great momentum.
Imago
Apr 25, 2026; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) dribbles past New York Liberty guard Ny’ceara Pryor (1) during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
Nevertheless, the Indiana Fever conceded 95-80 to the Wings in their final preseason game as Paige Bueckers stole the show for the visitors, nailing 20 points with 8 of 12 from the field, while Aziaha James chipped in with 17. Clark’s presence for the rest of the game could have made a difference, but the injury prevented it. And it was only fitting that head coach White didn’t push it further, given that it was just a preseason game.
From an on-court perspective, the hosts were outrebounded by 19. The three-point shooting was also extremely cold, as they made just 4 of 23 shots from deep. The team did feel the difference of not having players like Aliyah Boston and Lexie Hull in the rotation. But beyond the loss and the injury, Caitlin Clark was quite happy with one aspect of the game.
Caitlin Clark Sounds Content With the Officiating in the Dallas Wings Game After Injury
Even before the preseason games tipped off, the league’s undivided attention was on officiating. The scrutiny regarding its quality has been prevalent for a few years now. A few days ago, during a media availability session, Fever head coach Stephanie White clearly stated that she’s looking for improvement. “From a coach’s standpoint and a committee’s standpoint, we want to hold them accountable. Do I hope there is improvement? Of course, but just like players, like coaches, it takes time, experience, and commitment,” she had said.
Now, after the loss against the Dallas Wings, Caitlin Clark has doubled down on it, remarking that in this specific game the officiating quality was on point. “I think the refs did a really good job tonight,” Clark said. “I think that’s been the kind of focus in the season, and I know there’s a committee of people that really want them to start calling things.
“And I think they did a great job of doing that, I’d say. It’s a preseason game, so obviously you’d see more fouls called. I don’t know how many fouls were called tonight. At times, it can make things choppy, but I think it overall improves the product,” she added further.
Now, as the primary ball handler for her team in most instances, it’s clear that Clark has to go up against defenders’ physicality. In doing so, there have also been many instances when the foul wasn’t called, even though the opposition literally grabbed or threw her off. But in the Wings game, the officials were quite on point.
Right after Clark’s fall, the officials awarded Alanna Smith the flagrant, which, by definition, deems fit for not giving an airborne shooter a safe landing space on the court. Across the game, there were over 50 fouls in the game. It’s an exceedingly high number, but it’s still a precautionary measure to keep the physicality in check, especially towards players like Caitlin Clark going into the season.
All in all, with a positive update on her injury at the end of the day, Clark and the Indiana Fever can have a breather for now as they build towards their official season opener against the Dallas Wings on May 8.
