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Caitlin Clark is officially back.
The Indiana Fever star guard made her long-awaited return to the court in the Fever’s 109-91 victory over the New York Liberty on Saturday.
The two-time WNBA All-Star posted seven points, three rebounds and four assists in 17 minutes of pre-season action.
“I think anytime you get to put on your uniform and lace up your shoes, you don’t take that for granted, especially having come off of last year. I didn’t really get to do that very much,” Clark said postgame.
“So I think for me, coming into this game, just a lot of excitement, not a ton of nerves, just like, get out there, run around… everybody’s just trying to get their footing again, same goes for me too.”
It was Clark’s first on-court action in the W since July 15 after an injury-laden season limited her to just 13 regular season games in the 2025 campaign.
Due to injury, she was also unable to take part in the All-Star game and the weekend’s three-point contest at her home arena Gainbridge Fieldhouse, while she also had to watch the Fever win the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup from the sideline.
The 24-year-old did, however, make her return to competitive action in March when she was named on the 12-player roster for the FIBA Women’s World Cup qualifiers back in March, handed the iconic No. 12 jersey vacated by all-time great Diana Taurasi.
For Clark in Year 3, it’s all about finding ways to position herself to be in the healthiest place possible, and stay on the floor.
“My first two years of my career is like, everything feels like it’s really, really good or it’s really, really bad,” Clark said when reflecting on her WNBA career so far and looking ahead to Year 3.
“That’s just kind of how pro basketball works, whether it’s on the men’s side, whether it’s on the woman’s side. You’ve kind of just got to stay right in the middle. I think that’s going to be important for our team. It’s a long season.”
Over the offseason, she has been working closely with Fever athletic trainer Maria Witte to develop a program specifically tailored to mitigate the risk of serious injury.
Now, it’s all about implementation.
“I thought she was good,” Fever coach Stephanie White said on Clark’s return to the court. “We play differently when she’s on the floor. And so [we are] learning how to play with her in the action.
“I thought she didn’t force anything. She played with great intention, and everything that she did was in the flow. She was communicating at a high level.”
One thing was evident from Clark’s preseason game though – she needs to be afforded the time to get acclimatized to finding her shooting rhythm once again, after having shot just 2-of-10 from the field.
“If we’re talking about the shot-making, that’s going to come,” White added. “They play her differently in the W than they do in international basketball, and so we’ve just got to find ways to free her up to get her some easy looks.”
Cunningham could be crucial to Fever in 2026
Fortunately, Clark has a plethora of talent and character surrounding her on the floor.
Following the Players’ Union’s agreement over a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the Fever were able to bring back veteran Kelsey Mitchell, and re-signed former No. 1 overall pick Aaliyah Boston to a four-year, $6.3 million extension, the richest deal annually in WNBA history.
But Indiana also reunited Clark with her ‘Tres Leches’ crew by re-signing both Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham.
Outspoken star Cunningham could be crucial to helping Clark re-integrate back into the intensity of the W, especially to begin the new season.
A black belt in Taekwondo, the 29-year-old is always the first to step in and protect her teammates, no matter the opponent.
With Clark having often been on the end of some tough – sometimes overly zealous – physical play during her WNBA career so far, Cunningham earned the reputation of being her teammate’s ‘enforcer’.
It is support that the Fever superstar very much appreciates.
“I think the thing I appreciate about Sophie more than anything is she’s never intimidated by the moment,” Clark said. “She rises to the occasion every single time. She’s going to have her teammates’ backs.
“She loves when our backs are against the wall, she’s one of the loudest voices out there, fighting and scrapping. No matter the situation — whether we’re down 20 or up 20 — it’s the same Sophie.
“Every team in this league would probably kill to have a player like that. Really fortunate she’s on our side… she’s a good soul, but when she steps on the floor she’s fierce, she’s fiery, and she’s going to do anything to help our team win.”
The Fever take on Paige Bueckers and 2026 No. 1 overall WNBA Draft pick Azzi Fudd’s Dallas Wings on Thursday in their final preseason outing before getting the regular season underway on the road in Dallas on May 9.
Stay up to date with the latest from the WNBA across all platforms – follow our dedicated talkSPORT USA Facebook page and subscribe to our talkSPORT USA YouTube channel for all the news, exclusives, interviews and more.
Caitlin Clark is officially back.
The Indiana Fever star guard made her long-awaited return to the court in the Fever’s 109-91 victory over the New York Liberty on Saturday.
The two-time WNBA All-Star posted seven points, three rebounds and four assists in 17 minutes of pre-season action.
“I think anytime you get to put on your uniform and lace up your shoes, you don’t take that for granted, especially having come off of last year. I didn’t really get to do that very much,” Clark said postgame.
“So I think for me, coming into this game, just a lot of excitement, not a ton of nerves, just like, get out there, run around… everybody’s just trying to get their footing again, same goes for me too.”
It was Clark’s first on-court action in the W since July 15 after an injury-laden season limited her to just 13 regular season games in the 2025 campaign.
Due to injury, she was also unable to take part in the All-Star game and the weekend’s three-point contest at her home arena Gainbridge Fieldhouse, while she also had to watch the Fever win the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup from the sideline.
The 24-year-old did, however, make her return to competitive action in March when she was named on the 12-player roster for the FIBA Women’s World Cup qualifiers back in March, handed the iconic No. 12 jersey vacated by all-time great Diana Taurasi.
For Clark in Year 3, it’s all about finding ways to position herself to be in the healthiest place possible, and stay on the floor.
“My first two years of my career is like, everything feels like it’s really, really good or it’s really, really bad,” Clark said when reflecting on her WNBA career so far and looking ahead to Year 3.
“That’s just kind of how pro basketball works, whether it’s on the men’s side, whether it’s on the woman’s side. You’ve kind of just got to stay right in the middle. I think that’s going to be important for our team. It’s a long season.”
Over the offseason, she has been working closely with Fever athletic trainer Maria Witte to develop a program specifically tailored to mitigate the risk of serious injury.
Now, it’s all about implementation.
“I thought she was good,” Fever coach Stephanie White said on Clark’s return to the court. “We play differently when she’s on the floor. And so [we are] learning how to play with her in the action.
“I thought she didn’t force anything. She played with great intention, and everything that she did was in the flow. She was communicating at a high level.”
One thing was evident from Clark’s preseason game though – she needs to be afforded the time to get acclimatized to finding her shooting rhythm once again, after having shot just 2-of-10 from the field.
“If we’re talking about the shot-making, that’s going to come,” White added. “They play her differently in the W than they do in international basketball, and so we’ve just got to find ways to free her up to get her some easy looks.”
Cunningham could be crucial to Fever in 2026
Fortunately, Clark has a plethora of talent and character surrounding her on the floor.
Following the Players’ Union’s agreement over a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the Fever were able to bring back veteran Kelsey Mitchell, and re-signed former No. 1 overall pick Aaliyah Boston to a four-year, $6.3 million extension, the richest deal annually in WNBA history.
But Indiana also reunited Clark with her ‘Tres Leches’ crew by re-signing both Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham.
Outspoken star Cunningham could be crucial to helping Clark re-integrate back into the intensity of the W, especially to begin the new season.
A black belt in Taekwondo, the 29-year-old is always the first to step in and protect her teammates, no matter the opponent.
With Clark having often been on the end of some tough – sometimes overly zealous – physical play during her WNBA career so far, Cunningham earned the reputation of being her teammate’s ‘enforcer’.
It is support that the Fever superstar very much appreciates.
“I think the thing I appreciate about Sophie more than anything is she’s never intimidated by the moment,” Clark said. “She rises to the occasion every single time. She’s going to have her teammates’ backs.
“She loves when our backs are against the wall, she’s one of the loudest voices out there, fighting and scrapping. No matter the situation — whether we’re down 20 or up 20 — it’s the same Sophie.
“Every team in this league would probably kill to have a player like that. Really fortunate she’s on our side… she’s a good soul, but when she steps on the floor she’s fierce, she’s fiery, and she’s going to do anything to help our team win.”
The Fever take on Paige Bueckers and 2026 No. 1 overall WNBA Draft pick Azzi Fudd’s Dallas Wings on Thursday in their final preseason outing before getting the regular season underway on the road in Dallas on May 9.
Stay up to date with the latest from the WNBA across all platforms – follow our dedicated talkSPORT USA Facebook page and subscribe to our talkSPORT USA YouTube channel for all the news, exclusives, interviews and more.
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| đź“° PublicaciĂłn: | talksport.com |
| ✍️ Autor: | Kerrie Jacobs-Bryant |
| đź“… Fecha Original: | 2026-04-30 17:17:00 |
| đź”— Enlace: | Ver artĂculo original |
Nota de transparencia: Este artĂculo ha sido traducido y adaptado del inglĂ©s al español para facilitar su comprensiĂłn. El contenido se mantiene fiel a la fuente original, disponible en el enlace proporcionado arriba.
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