Caitlin Clark injury update: Fever star ruled out vs. Liberty, All-Star Game status in question

Caitlin Clark has been ruled out for Wednesday night’s game against the New York Liberty, according to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou. The Indiana Fever star’s status is also in question for the All-Star Game this weekend in Indianapolis.

Clark appeared to tweak a groin injury in the final minute of Tuesday’s victory over the Connecticut Sun and was visibly in pain on the sidelines. The Fever initially deemed her questionable for Wednesday’s matchup against New York, but she will now be unable to go.

Wednesday’s game is Indiana’s last before the All-Star Break. Clark is scheduled to participate in the three-point contest and is also serving as a captain for one of the teams in the game, which will be at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Clark was bringing the ball up the court with about 40 seconds left to play when she kicked it inside to Kelsey Mitchell for a layup. As Connecticut called timeout, the former Iowa star was visibly in pain and reaching for her left leg as she headed toward the basket.

Once she got to the bench, Clark put a towel over her head and was visibly emotional off the bench. Replays showed she pulled up after the backdoor pass and reached for the inside of her right leg as the whistle blew.

After the game, Fever coach Stephanie White said Clark felt “a little something in her groin” as he appeared to tweak a previous injury. White said the former No. 1 overall pick would receive further evaluation, but will now ultimately miss Wednesday’s game.

Clark played 28 minutes in Tuesday’s 85-77 victory over the Sun, totaling 14 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. However, her shooting struggles continued as she went just 4-for-14 from the field, including 1-of-7 from three-point distance. Her lone make from downtown came in the fourth quarter.

Entering Tuesday, Clark made just 29.5% of her shots over her last six games, with the lone bright spot coming in a 19-point showing in a loss to the Las Vegas Aces. Last time out against the Dallas Wings, Clark had 14 points, but shot 4-for-12 from the field.

Despite the slump, Caitlin Clark is in the midst of a huge second season in the WNBA despite dealing with injuries throughout the year. Through 13 games this year, she’s averaging 16.5 points to go with 8.8 assists and 5.0 rebounds, along with 1.6 steals per game.