Fever suddenly facing tough questions after Caitlin Clark absence

Fever suddenly facing tough questions after Caitlin Clark absence originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Indiana Fever picked up one of their most complete wins of the young season Wednesday night, beating the Portland Fire without Caitlin Clark in the lineup.

But by the end of the night, the conversation surrounding Indiana had very little to do with basketball. Instead, attention quickly shifted toward the Fever’s handling of Clark’s late absence, the mixed messaging from head coach Stephanie White and whether the WNBA could now take a closer look at the situation. Clark was ruled out roughly 90 minutes before tipoff because of what the team described as a back injury.

The timing immediately surprised fans because Clark had not previously appeared on the injury report ahead of the game. That became a much larger talking point once White addressed the media. Stephanie White’s explanation only fueled more confusion White revealed before the game that Clark did not participate in Tuesday’s practice and instead underwent treatment for back soreness.

“She just woke up with some stiffness and soreness,” White said. “For us, it’s not the time to take a chance. We just really want to be cautious.