Caitlin Clark has not returned to practice with the Indiana Fever as she attempts to return from a groin injury, head coach Stephanie White told reporters on Monday.
"No return to practice," White responded to the Indianapolis Star's Chloe Peterson. "She's been able to get a little bit more of her full-court running with all her body weight."
"It's really building up from doing minimal to then building some endurance, to do longer periods of time," White added. "She's been able to do a little more on the court in terms of how she moves, but not in practice yet."
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White's remarks dispel the notion that Clark could play in Tuesday's matchup with the Dallas Wings, despite the WNBA listing her as a "game-time decision."
Clark has not appeared in a game since July 15 and has missed the Fever's last 11 games, during which the team has compiled a 7-4 record. Overall, she has missed 19 of Indiana's 32 games this season, also sitting out with a quad strain earlier in the year.
Additional injuries to Fever guards has compounded Clark's absence. Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald are now out for the season after getting hurt in Thursday's 95-60 loss to the Phoenix Mercury. Colson suffered a torn ACL in her left knee, while McDonald broke a bone in her right foot. That forced the team to sign Odyssey Sims to a hardship contract on Sunday.
Amid the injuries, the Fever have dropped to 18-14, placing them fifth in the WNBA standings. That would still put Indiana in the WNBA playoffs, but how far could the team advance in the postseason with their guard depth decimated and their star player sidelined?
Clark explained the frustration of dealing with multiple injuries while appearing on Sue Bird's "Birds Eye View" podcast last week.
"As an athlete, you're like, I don't wanna be soft, Clark said. "So I think that's been the hardest part, the stop-and-go of everything."
"With the type of injuries I've dealt with, there's no real [timeline]," she added "It's like, 'How do you feel?' Even when I have been back, I don't know how I'm gonna feel the next day after playing."
However, based on White's comments, it doesn't sound like Clark's return is imminent.
The Fever have 12 games remaining on their schedule and Clark could certainly have an impact on their playoff performance. Yet rushing her back into the lineup if she's not fully healthy or her conditioning is subpar would be risky with few short-term benefits.
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