The Indiana Fever played the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday night in Phoenix without Caitlin Clark, who was ruled out with an ongoing back issue. The game, set for 10 p.m. ET on Prime Video, came on the second night of a back-to-back and left Indiana trying to manage another major absence on the road.
Clark had already described how the strain had built up over the past 10 days, pointing to the grind of four-hour flights, sleeping in different hotels and trying to recover while the team stayed on the move. She said the back stiffness can spread into other parts of the body, and that it is hard to keep feeling fresh when the schedule keeps stacking up. That made Thursday a searchlight game for readers trying to find out whether she would suit up against Phoenix.
There was at least one return on the Fever side. Aliyah Boston, who had been battling a lower leg injury, was set to play after missing Wednesday's loss to the Los Angeles Sparks. That mattered because Indiana was walking into the first meeting between the teams since the Mercury's 111-109 win on June 24, a game that still hangs over the rematch because of what followed after it.
After that June 24 game, the WNBA handed Alyssa Thomas a one-game suspension and a fine for recklessly making contact with Clark's throat. Thomas said it was a complete accident and said she did not even know the play happened, but the league still punished it under its disciplinary rules. Clark later said the harassment and hate directed at Thomas and her Mercury teammates needed to stop, a reminder that the rivalry has spilled well beyond the scoreboard.
That backdrop explains why Thursday's absence drew attention even before tipoff. Nate Tibbetts had already said on Tuesday that he was extremely disappointed that Thomas and Kahleah Copper were not named All-Star reserves, underscoring how much has piled up around these teams in a matter of days. For Indiana, the immediate question is simpler: how long Clark is out, and whether the back issue is short-term enough to let her return before the road trip and the injuries around her force the Fever to keep adjusting.
