Indiana Fever Awaiting Punishment Decision After Caitlin Clark Incident
Caitlin Clark and Stephanie White have helped the Indiana Fever secure a 2-2 record through their first four games of the 2026 WNBA season, taking down the Seattle Storm 89-78 on Sunday. On Wednesday, the Fever looked to move above .500 for the first time this year, remaining in Indianapolis to host the Portland Fire.
Clark has been solid for Indiana to begin her third WNBA season, averaging a team-high 24.3 points, a league-leading 9.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game. This comes after the former Iowa point guard missed all but 13 games during the 2025 season due to numerous injuries, including her groin and ankle. But to begin 2026, Clark returned to the Fever healthy.
However, on Tuesday, after listing no injuries for Wednesday's matchup against the Fire, Indiana announced less than two hours before tipoff that Clark would be out with a back issue. And while coach Stephanie White remained adamant the injury would not become a long-term issue, she also revealed the Fever held Clark out of Tuesday's practice, though she still was not listed on the injury report.
According to the WNBA, teams, especially those aware of injuries, "must report information concerning player injuries, illnesses, other medical conditions, or rest for all WNBA games" by 5 p.m. local time the day before a game, unless it is the second game of a back-to-back. And with the Fever not reporting Clark's injury until more than 24 hours after that deadline (Tuesday), the team could face an investigation and possible punishment from the league.
"Given White said Clark did not practice yesterday, and there was no indication Clark was dealing with an ailment until she was ruled out 100 minutes before tip tonight, would imagine this is something the league may take a look at," ESPN's Alexa Philippou wrote on X.
Given White said Clark did not practice yesterday, and there was no indication Clark was dealing with an ailment until she was ruled out 100 minutes before tip tonight, would imagine this is something the league may take a look at https://t.co/xC8EyPb6Kt
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) May 20, 2026
Up next for Clark and the Fever, a matchup against the Golden State Valkyries on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Related: Indiana Fever Break WNBA Rule With Caitlin Clark Announcement
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This story was originally published May 20, 2026 at 4:33 PM.