Caitlin Clark was listed as probable for Thursday’s matchup with the Golden State Valkyries, a sign the Indiana Fever expect their star guard to be available even as she continues to manage a back issue early in the WNBA season. Clark returned to the starting lineup against Golden State last Friday and scored a team-high 22 points in Indiana’s third straight win over the Valkyries.
The latest injury note comes after Clark was a late scratch for Indiana’s May 20 game against the Portland Fire, the first contest she missed this season. The Fever still won that night, 90-73, but Clark’s absence only sharpened the focus on how much Indiana needs her on the floor when the schedule tightens and the season is still young.
Clark’s 2026 status follows a turbulent run through injury over the past two seasons. She appeared in 40 games and won Rookie of the Year in 2024, then was limited to 13 appearances in 2025 because of a groin strain and an ankle-bone bruise. Those setbacks slowed what had been one of the most watched starts to a WNBA career in recent memory and made every new availability report matter more than it normally would this early in the year.
Indiana already had one answer against the Valkyries with Clark back in uniform last Friday, and Thursday’s rematch will test whether that performance was a sign she is past the latest back problem or simply managing it from game to game. Her presence changes everything for the Fever, but so does her availability, and the team has already learned this month how quickly both can shift.
Clark also drew attention off the court this week, attending the San Francisco Giants’ game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday at Oracle Park. For a player whose every move is tracked, even a night at the ballpark becomes part of the larger picture: a season in which Indiana is trying to keep winning while its biggest name works through another physical issue.
If Clark is in the lineup Thursday, the Fever will have a chance to press their advantage against a Valkyries team they have already beaten twice in a row. If she is not, the game will again show how much Indiana can survive without her — and how much more dangerous it becomes when she is healthy enough to play through the discomfort.
