Indiana Fever Players Use ‘Gut Punch’ and ‘Humbling’ to Describe Playing Without Caitlin Clark

A quad injury forced Clark to watch from the sidelines for the first time in her professional or collegiate career.

Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever walks off the court at the end of the first half against the Washington Mystics at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore, Md., on May 28, 2025. Greg Fiume/Getty Images

For the first time in her professional or collegiate career, Caitlin Clark was forced to watch a game from the sidelines due to a quad injury. She sat out the Indiana Fever–Washington Mystics matchup on Wednesday, and based on how much of her team’s offense runs through its star player, it was a monumental adjustment for the team. The results indicated as much, with Indiana falling, 83–77, to a Washington team that was on a three-game losing streak.

The Fever’s point total of 77 was their lowest of the season, having averaged 88 points through their first four games.