Ever since Caitlin Clark went down with a groin injury, the Fever has adopted a new policy: Transparency. HC Stephanie White has been openly sharing the team’s plans, expectations, and progress on CC’s recovery. It feels like a calculated attempt to rebuild the public’s trust in the organization’s updates—perhaps more so in the aftermath of the DeWanna Bonner controversy. As Rachel DeMita put it back then, “And then it comes out that there was something totally different happening behind the scenes. And so at this point, we just don’t know if we can trust what’s actually coming out of the organization.”

So without letting fans’ curiosity linger too deep, and avoid unnecessary speculations, the head coach decided to change tactics a full 12 hours ahead of their matchup against the Las Vegas Aces. Getting ahead of the conversation, she delivered a piece of news that’s certainly not a good one for the Indiana faithful. Already desolate over Clark’s absence, fans were expecting something good to finally come out, especially since she was listed day-to-day before the games against the Minnesota Lynx.

What further fueled this optimism was the star herself proclaiming last Sunday ahead of the Commissioner’s Cup championship game, “I feel good, I’m gonna be day-to-day from here on out, and doing everything I can to put myself in a position to play the next game every single time.” However, with her being a no-show during the 59-74 victory, fans hoped CC would come back vs Aces. Well, hold that thought because coach White has just cleared the air finally.

As per a tweet by journalist Tony East on July 2, “Fever rule out Caitlin Clark for Fever-Aces tomorrow with groin injury. Head coach Stephanie White: “My goal has always been the same. I don’t want this to be something that lingers… we want to make sure that she is 100% ready to go.” Said the team is maintaining perspective.” Notably, this comes amid the head coach further stating, “We want to make sure that she is 100 percent ready to go and that we put her long-term health and wellness at the forefront…Making progress and feeling good are two different things. We want to make sure that she feels good. We want to make sure that she’s confident. We want to make sure that we’re not putting her in a position to have any setbacks. That’s the that’s the priority right now.”

“Making progress and feeling good are two different things. We want to make sure that she feels good. We want to make sure that she’s confident. We want to make sure that we’re not putting her in a position to have any setbacks. That’s the priority right now,” White further said. This will be the fourth straight game that Caitlin Clark has missed due to a groin injury and her ninth absence overall this season. What remains unclear, though, is the severity. Unlike her previous setback, when she was dealing with a confirmed Grade 2 quad strain, there’s been no official word this time on whether her groin injury is a Grade 1, 2, or something more serious.

In CC’s absence, the onus of leading the Fever again falls on the capable shoulders of Natasha Howard. Her MVP-worthy performance in the Commissioner’s Cup final has set the bar very high, and the Fever hopes that the victory against the Lynx can act as a springboard for more consistency in the league. Stephanie White revealed that she is over the high of winning the cup, and now the full focus is on the next game. “By the time I got on the plane, I was over it. You have to get ready for the next game. It’s the nature of compartmentalization,” she had mentioned.

Veteran Syd Colson also pointed out the main issue the Fever’s have had all season has been Consistency.

It remains to be seen whether the Fever are able to go on a winning run or falter in the absence of their superstar.

How will Indiana fare against the Aces without Caitlin Clark?

Seems like the Indiana Fever has a solid shot at beating the Las Vegas Aces even without Caitlin Clark. The stats support it. ESPN Analytics gives them a 56.2% chance to win, compared to the Aces’ 43.8%. A lot of that confidence comes from their recent win over the 14-2 Minnesota Lynx, which many are calling their best game this season. Even without Clark running the show, the Fever managed to keep up their defensive pressure and relied on balanced scoring.

As for their upcoming clash, the Fever is averaging 84.1 points per game (to Vegas’ 80.9), shoot 45.0% from the field (compared to the Aces’ 40.8%), and even have slight edges in rebounds (33.7 vs. 33.5) and steals (7.4 vs. 7.1). This isn’t a fluke. They are actually a well-rounded team with Aari McDonald making a significant contribution since re-signing for Indiana. That said, it still won’t be a walk in the park. The Aces may have the same 8-8 record, but they are gathering some steam, winning three of their last four.

A’ja Wilson, the reigning MVP, just dropped 26 points, 18 rebounds, and 7 assists against Phoenix and has scored 20+ in five straight games. She’s a huge problem for any squad’s defense. Jackie Young has also been steady, averaging 18 points and 3.9 assists. But the Fever have their own firepower with Kelsey Mitchell (18.9 PPG) and Aliyah Boston (15.9 PPG, 8.2 RPG), and they seem to have a fire under their belly. If Indiana brings the same energy they had against the Lynx, and finds a way to slow down Wilson like they did to Collier, they could start this homestand with another huge win.