Caitlin Clark has another injury. Can she play at Barclays tonight?
One of the things that makes the New York Liberty so tough to beat is their depth, their ability to have someone take on the responsibilities if one of their best player is not having their best game. Throughout their matchup with the Atlanta Dream, Sabrina Ionescu shot an abysmal 3-20 from the field, only recording nine points. But Leonie Fiebich took matters inyo her own hands, with her 3-point shooting — 4 of 5 from deep, 8-of-9 overall — playing a key role en route to a 79-72 comeback victory. Those are the things that lead to championships, ladies and gentlemen.
Tonight, The Liberty will look to continue their surge as they will be taking on Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in a rematch of a game back in that had the Liberty on the losing end. The Liberty will be in Barclays this time, though, where the never ending energy of Brooklyn has to help in their quest to get revenge.
The big question is, will Clark play?
Where to Watch
Catch the action at 7:30 p.m. ET on CBS Sports.
Injuries
Jonquel Jones is still out, but don’t worry! She’ll be back right after the All Star break you guys!
Caitlin Clark is on standby, as Indiana’s head coach Stephanie White put it, she “felt a little something in her groin.”
The Game
While enjoying my day off from work related festivities, I watched the Connecticut Sun-Indian Fever matchup and noticed one obvious thing, Tina Charles absolutely had her way despite the loss. Aside from scoring 21 points, she grabbed 11 rebounds with ease.
Which allowed me to think that if the Liberty can capitalize on the boards, it can be a way to win the overall battle tonight. On the defensive side, of course, all eyes will be on Caitlin Clark, if she can even play.
If you watched the last game between the two, your jaw was probably on the floor as we all witnessed Clark bring out her full repertoire. Whether it was threes from the logo or her sweet no look passes, Clark put on an absolute show as she was shown by many to consider her the face of the league.
This time, though, I believe Sabrina will have her way. She is definitely looking to bring out a better performance than she had against the Dream. I wouldn’t be surprised if she drills consecutive threes of her own today, just to give Clark a glimpse of what could be a showdown when the two compete in the 3-point contest during the All Star break which starts tomorrow.
Player to Watch
It’s always going to be Caitlin Clark whether she plays or not. She is the face of her franchise, her league. Indeed her arrival last season was a “crossing the chasm” moment for the W, as more than one league source has stated. There may have been controversy on a number of fronts, but attendance, TV ratings, merchandise sales, just her media presence all tell the story.
But her second year has not been a breakout, as many expected because she has been hurt a lot of the season, the groin injury that might keep her out vs. Brooklyn. As the hometown Indianapolis Post wrote Wednesday morning:
Clark missed the Fever’s preseason opener on May 3 against Washington with what she described as “just a little bit of tightness” in her quad, but played the next day in Iowa City at her alma mater. She then suffered a quad strain, which was separate from the preseason injury, against the New York Liberty on May 24, keeping her out for over two weeks (five games).
She returned June 14 against New York, then played the Fever’s next five games before suffering another injury. The Fever didn’t specify when she suffered the left groin injury, saying she reported pain after Indiana’s West Coast road trip then got an MRI.
Clark then missed four more regular-season games, as well as the Commissioner’s Cup championship, and came back July 9.
We’ll know long before game time whether she can play Wednesday night and in the WNBA All-Star game on the weekend. As noted, she and Sabrina are also scheduled to face off in the 3-point contest.
From the Vault
Injuries and Indiana are a problem. While Clark’s injuries have been nagging while the Pacers are catastrophic. Tyrese Haliburton went down early in Game 7 of the Finals with a ruptured achilles and is out all of next year.
From tie game to Thunder win and the Larry O’Brien Trophy. It’s always a lesson learned hard: health is critical to every player’s career.
More reading: Las Vegas Review-Journal, Swish Appeal, Breakaway, Women’s Basketball Roundup, The Local W, SB Nation, New York Daily News, New York Post, Gotta Get Up, The Athletic. NY Liberty Fan TV, Fansided, Just Women’s Sports, Sports Illustrated, NY Liberty Fan TV, Winsidr, No Cap Space, Fansided, Her Hoop Stats, CBS Sports, Yahoo Sports, and The Next