Caitlin Clark will be available for the Indiana Fever on Sunday, but her return will come with a hard cap. Stephanie White said Saturday afternoon that Clark will be limited to 20-25 minutes against the Las Vegas Aces, a sign that Indiana is still managing her workload after a back injury and a recent rest day.
The timing matters because Clark has barely been able to settle into a rhythm this season. She missed three of Indiana's past four games after leaving the June 24 game against the Phoenix Mercury in the third quarter with a back injury, then came back Wednesday against the Los Angeles Sparks and played only 16 minutes. She scored nine points on 4 of 12 shooting in a 106-92 loss, enough to show she can contribute, not enough to suggest she is being turned loose.
For the Fever, the restriction changes how Sunday can be managed. Clark is the engine of the offense, averaging 20.5 points, 7.9 assists and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 42.6% from the field, 33.6% on 3-pointers and 85.4% from the line, so even a short stretch from her can alter the game. Indiana also chose to sit her in the second game of a back-to-back on Thursday, when her designation was rest, which means this is less a full return than a careful step back into the lineup.
That caution fits the bigger pattern around Clark and the Indiana Fever. She has already missed four games because of injury or rest this season and played just 13 games in the 2025 WNBA season because of a series of different injuries. With the team finishing a four-game road trip, the priority is not squeezing every minute out of her now but making sure Sunday does not become another setback.
What remains unresolved is how long Indiana keeps drawing the line at 20-25 minutes. Clark is expected to be on the floor against the Las Vegas Aces, but the team has not said when, or if, the restriction will be lifted.
