Caitlin Clark, the highly acclaimed guard for the Indiana Fever, will not return to play in the WNBA's 2025 season. This announcement, made by the Fever on Thursday, September 4, concludes weeks of speculation regarding her recovery from a right groin sprain sustained on July 15. The injury, which sidelined her for over seven weeks and 19 games, means Clark will miss the remainder of the regular season and any potential playoff appearances for Indiana.

Clark's 2025 season was plagued by an unprecedented series of injuries, a stark contrast to her collegiate career at the University of Iowa and her rookie WNBA season in 2024, during which she never missed a game. In her second professional year, she appeared in only 13 of Indiana's 41 regular-season games. Her season began with a left leg soreness that caused her to miss an exhibition opener on May 3. Later that month, on May 26, a left quad sprain forced her to miss five games. After returning with a commanding 32-point performance against the New York Liberty on June 14, she was sidelined again on June 26 by a left groin sprain, missing another five games. Her most severe injury, the right groin sprain, occurred on July 15, ultimately leading to her season-ending decision. She also suffered a bone bruise on her left ankle during a workout in August, which she rehabbed concurrently with her groin injury.

Despite the limited playing time, Clark, the 2024 Rookie of the Year and a first-team All-WNBA selection, averaged 16.5 points, 8.8 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in her 13 games. Her absence significantly impacted the Fever, though the team demonstrated remarkable resilience. Head coach Stephanie White acknowledged the difficulty of adjusting to Clark's intermittent presence, noting her significant offensive gravity and how the team's strategies had to shift. Other key players, including Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston, Lexie Hull, and Natasha Howard, stepped up, with Mitchell averaging 21.2 points and 3.9 assists in games without Clark.

The Fever also faced a challenging season with multiple other season-ending injuries to guards Sydney Colson (knee), Aari McDonald (foot), Sophie Cunningham (knee), and forward Chloe Bibby (knee). To cope with the depleted roster, Indiana signed hardship players like Aari McDonald (initially), Odyssey Sims, and Aerial Powers throughout the season. Despite these setbacks, the Fever, with a 22-20 record as of early September, remained in contention for a second consecutive playoff berth, a significant achievement after missing the postseason for seven straight years prior to 2024.

The decision to shut Clark down was made after the team concluded they could not get her to the necessary level of physical readiness and endurance for high-stakes games, prioritizing her long-term health. Coach White expressed hope that this injury-riddled season would be a temporary setback, fostering a renewed hunger and drive in Clark for future seasons. Comparisons have been drawn to other professional athletes who experienced injury-shortened early careers, such as Michael Jordan and A'ja Wilson, who later achieved MVP and championship success.

While Clark's absence from the playoffs is a blow to the WNBA's viewership, the league maintains intriguing storylines, and the Fever's resilience has been a notable highlight. For Clark, the focus now shifts to a comprehensive offseason recovery, potentially including alternative competitive play like Unrivaled's 3-on-3 or overseas leagues, to ensure she returns fully healthy and prepared for her third WNBA season in 2026.