Caitlin Clark returns to Indiana’s lineup, Aliyah Boston out — but not for long

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Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark will return to the lineup Wednesday night at the Los Angeles Sparks, Fever coach Stephanie White told reporters at Wednesday’s shootaround. Clark missed Indiana’s last two games and three overall this season with a back injury.

Clark, however, will not play Thursday night at the Phoenix Mercury as the Fever continue to manage her season-long back issues. White also announced that center Aliyah Boston will be out against the Sparks due to a lower right leg injury, but will likely return Thursday in Phoenix. Boston has been managing her leg injury all season and will now miss her second game of the year as a result.

White said the decision to “flip-flop” her star guard’s and center’s rest days is precautionary. This week’s back-to-back marks the first of three for Indiana this season.

“Again, what’s in the best long-term interest of our players?” White said Wednesday. “Not just short term, in the game-to-game (outlook), but what’s in the best long-term interest in a season and in a career? So, I’m thankful for our medical team to stay on top of that. They hold us accountable to making sure that we stay (committed) to whatever our restrictions are.”

Clark last played on June 24, when she exited in the third quarter of a turbulent 111-109 loss to the Mercury after tweaking her back. That was also the same game in which Clark was flagrantly fouled by Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, who pushed her right fist into Clark’s throat during a scrum on the floor in the second quarter. The play was initially a no-call, but the WNBA reviewed it, retroactively upgraded the incident to a flagrant foul 2 penalty on Thomas, fined her $1,000 and suspended her for one game.

White said after the game she was unsure whether Thomas’ “dangerous” foul on Clark contributed to Clark’s back flaring up. Clark said earlier this season that she’s unsure of when her back issues began.

Boston, meanwhile, suffered a lower-leg injury in February while playing with Unrivaled, the professional three-on-three league. She missed the Fever’s first two preseason games and the first WNBA game of her career on May 17 while rehabbing.

Despite both players’ lingering injuries, Clark and Boston were still named All-Star Game starters. Clark, now a three-time All-Star, entered Wednesday night averaging 21.2 points and 8.2 assists in 17 games. She has two games this season, and three in her career, with at least 30 points and 10 assists. No other player in WNBA history has more than one.

Boston, a four-time All-Star, is averaging 17.1 points and 8.6 rebounds in 19 games this year. She’s notched six double-doubles while shooting a career-high 45.1 percent on 3-pointers. The versatile center has drilled 23 3s this season, more than her first three years combined (17).

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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