As you drove through the Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 14, you could see the crowd line up outside hours ago. Inside, the cheers were louder, the shots were longer, the passes were unmissable, and the atmosphere was completely electric. Of course, the face of the franchise, Caitlin Clark, had finally returned to the hardwood after 19 days of nursing her left quad strain she suffered after their first loss to the reigning champions, the New York Liberty. But in classic Clark manner of near triple-double performance, the point guard and her squad gave Liberty their very first defeat of the season. The buzz continued into their next mid-week high-stakes matchup against the Connecticut Sun… 

…Fever could only clinch their tickets to the in-season tournament title game if– New York won their parallelly-played contest against the Atlanta Dream –and– if Indiana won over the Sun. And that’s exactly how it played out when Connecticut lost at the hands of the reigning league ROTY. With that win, the Fever are all set to write history once again– their very first Commissioner’s Cup Championship game. But before the July 1 event at Target Center, they still have to face five opponents and keep Caitlin Clark and the rest of the team healthy. Just when things looked fine for HC Stephanie White, there came a now-viral post, giving the Indy nation a possibly concerning update.

A Caitlin Clark fan, cc akgae(@clrkszn), tweeted what they noticed, writing, “so caitlin’s quad was not taped up during the new york game but it was taped up against the sun…. why….. chat should i crash out.”

In Clark’s second game back against the Sun, she was seen with tape on her quadriceps. However, in the game against the Liberty, she wasn’t. A sign of concern? Well, this piece of evidence definitely has fans worried; have a look:

The Iowa alum has been known for her resiliency despite having claimed herself before for not having “the best ankles.” A fact that now, unfortunately, extends to her quadriceps as well. Before these five games, the point guard had not missed a single game since her high school days. But since returning, Clark has been in phenomenal form, scoring 52 points, 15 assists, and 9 rebounds in the two games. So the tape?

Well, it could very well be just a precaution to help support the muscle and relieve any lingering discomfort. So while it may look concerning, it might simply be part of her recovery routine as she continues to add speed and agility to the fastest team in the league.

Update: The Fever have now played against the Golden State Valkyries. However, in the 88-77 road loss, Clark was out of her form, missing all shots from beyond the arc (0 of 7) and ending her very first San Francisco trip with 11 points on 3 of 14 shooting from the field. However, as always, she did find ways to help her teammates with 7 rebounds and 9 assists in her 34 minutes on the floor. But the 6 turnovers and slow pace only adds to the concern if she should get some more rest.

For now, though, Caitlin will try and contribute however possible. Up next? Their very first road trip to San Francisco for a matchup against the Golden State Valkyries. Can the Fever continue their good run?

Can Caitlin Clark and Co. beat the Valkyries to keep their winning streak alive?

The Golden State Valkyries enter Chase Center on the back of a concerning 71–80 loss to the league’s worst-ranked team, the Dallas Wings. And that’s despite Monique Billings putting up a solid 17-point effort. To add to their troubles, the Valkyries are without Temi Fagbenle, Cecilia Zandalasini, and Janelle Salaun, all of whom are away on EuroBasket duty. However, they do have some pieces that can put pressure on the visitors.

Kayla Thornton, out of the New York Liberty squad, is not just leading the Valkyries in points average with 14.8 and rebounds with .1 board per game but is also a defensive havoc. Tiffany Hayes, who was brought out of her retirement last season by the Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon for all the right reasons has also continued her form into her freshly-formed team. Moreover, HC Natalie Nakase has put up a gritty team with rookie Chloe Bibby and veterans like Kate Martin and Veronica Burton. But they will need to keep an eye for consistency in their play. What the Fever will need to look at is their fast pace and avoiding turnovers.

Of course, the Fever are riding high in confidence. They have won back-to-back games and are aiming for their third in a row. No doubt, all eyes will be on Caitlin Clark, currently leading into the season with over 19 points per games and a league-high 8.7 assists. The only bet? All the starters need to produce good numbers with the bench continuing to add on both sides of the ball. But make no mistake: even without DeWanna Bonner, Indiana looks like the clear favorite heading into this contest.

That’s exactly what ESPN thinks as well. They have given the Fever a 62% chance of walking away from the Chase Center with a win. Do you guys agree with their prediction? Who do you think wins this contest? Will the Chase Center crowd prove to be the difference for the Valkyries? Or will Clark show her talents again? Let us know in the comments.