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Caitlin Clark explains why Indiana Fever minutes restriction has been 'really hard' originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Caitlin Clark is back on the court, but she's still not back to being Caitlin Clark. After missing two games with a back injury, the Indiana Fever superstar returned Wednesday against the Los Angeles Sparks. While simply being available marked an encouraging step, Clark admitted afterward that the way she was used made it difficult to ever settle into the game.
Her honest assessment offered fans a glimpse into the challenge of returning from injury, especially for a player who rarely leaves the floor when fully healthy.
Caitlin Clark opens up on frustrating minutes restriction
Clark was held to just 16 minutes in Indiana's 106-92 loss to Los Angeles as the Fever carefully managed her workload. Rather than playing extended stretches, she was rotated in and out of the lineup every few minutes, making it difficult to find any offensive rhythm.
"It's just really hard when you're playing three minutes, (sub) out, three minutes, three minutes, then you're on the bench," Clark told reporters after the game.
"It's really, really hard to get into a flow. For the most part, I got good looks, some of them went, some of them didn't. I probably didn't get to have a feel for the game as I usually do, like it's just really, really hard for me to play in that scenario, but overall, my body feels great, so that's the positive I can take from today."
Clark finished with nine points, four rebounds, three assists and one steal while shooting 4-for-12 from the field.
While the stat line wasn't up to her usual standards, her biggest takeaway was that her back responded well after two weeks away from game action.
Stephanie White explains cautious approach
Fever head coach Stephanie White made it clear the organization is focused on the long-term picture rather than rushing Clark back into a full workload. White explained after the game that rebuilding game conditioning takes time, particularly for a player who faces relentless defensive pressure every night.
According to White, the Fever want to ensure Clark can handle the physical demands of constant traps, double teams and full-court attention before removing her minutes restriction. It's a careful balancing act. Indiana wants its franchise star back on the floor, but it also wants to avoid another setback during the second half of the season.
MORE: Angel Reese moves one step closer to WNBA suspension after latest technical foul
Fever taking long-term approach with franchise star
Indiana continued that cautious strategy Thursday, holding Clark out of the Fever's matchup against the Phoenix Mercury. The decision gave Clark additional recovery time as she works toward returning to full strength ahead of the playoff push.
The encouraging sign for the Fever is Clark's own assessment of her health. Despite the frustration of limited playing time, she emphasized that her body felt good after returning to live competition. That's likely the biggest victory Indiana could have hoped for this week.
Clark's next opportunity to return to the lineup comes Sunday when the Fever host the Las Vegas Aces in one of the marquee matchups on the WNBA schedule. If all goes according to plan, fans could see her workload increase another step as Indiana continues easing its superstar back into full action.
More WNBA news:
- Sophie Cunningham, Lexie Hull enjoy viral California beach day before Fever's showdown with Sparks
- Sophie Cunningham gets disappointing WNBA news despite breakout Fever season
- Angel Reese's fit with Dream questioned as Atlanta's losing streak exposes bigger issue
- Stephanie White's postgame message had Fever fans wondering the same thing about Caitlin Clark
- Sophie Cunningham brings spicy look to Vegas before Fever-Aces showdown
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