Caitlin Clark returned to action Wednesday night in a Fever vs. Sparks matchup, but a strict minutes cap kept her from settling into the game. The Indiana guard had missed two games after a back injury flared up during a physical contest against the Phoenix Mercury in June.
For her return in LA, head coach Stephanie White held her to just 16 minutes on the court, played in roughly three-minute shifts.
How Clark's Restricted Minutes Impacted the Fever's Offense
Clark finished with nine points on 4-of-12 shooting, four rebounds, three assists, and four turnovers. Between shifts, she left the bench to keep her back loose.
"It's really, really hard to get into a flow," Clark said after the performance. "I didn't get to have a feel for the game as I usually do."
White explained the choppy playing time as a strategy for keeping her star player healthy in the long run.
"It's going to take some time to build endurance," she said. "She hadn't really been able to practice all that much, either. It's never easy when you're reintegrating after an injury. She's going to continue to be better."
Without Clark and center Aliyah Boston (leg), the Indiana Fever leaned on veteran guard Kelsey Mitchell, who led the team with 29 points. Yet the defense could not contain a balanced Sparks attack that shot 51% and topped 100 points in the 106-92 win.
What's Clark's Injury Status Against the Phoenix Mercury?
Clark will sit out Thursday's game at Phoenix to manage her recovery. She hopes to push closer to 25 minutes when the Fever visit Las Vegas on Sunday. She noted her body "feels great" and she "took a win" from experiencing a game environment in LA.
The Fever meets the Mercury tonight at 10 PM ET, live on Prime.
