TRENDING: Caitlin Clark opens up about dealing with injury woes: “I’ve never been through anything like this”…Read more

Caitlin Clark opens up about dealing with injury woes: “I’ve never been through anything like this” originally appeared on Basketball Network.

After a spectacular rookie season, Caitlin Clark is having an underwhelming sophomore year in the WNBA. She has played just 13 games and has been in and out of the Indiana Fever lineup because of a series of soft tissue injuries.

Clark has not played since July 15th, when the Fever defeated the Connecticut Sun 85-77. She has missed her team’s last 10 contests, including Saturday’s game against the Chicago Sky.

“It’s just been so challenging, like being active and playing four games and then not,” she said. “And then like, not feeling the best and then like frustrated of like how hard I work in the offseason and then like all I do is rehab, and like continue to do this process, and just like trying to trust that the best that I can.”

“Obviously, there’s been really frustrating days, and there’s days where like it’s a little bit easier and you’re very, very motivated and like you’re right close to the finish line of getting back… Like it’s hard. It really is,” Clark added.

Clark’s injury woes
Clark first missed the team’s preseason opener with left quad tightness. Then, on May 24th against the New York Liberty, she suffered a left quad strain that kept her out for five games.

She returned to play five games but suffered a left groin injury that kept her out for another two weeks and the Commissioner’s Cup final. Then, on July 15th against the Connecticut Sun, she suffered a right groin injury and hasn’t played since, forcing her to miss the All-Star weekend in her city.

“I’ve never been through anything like this. I think that’s probably why it’s been so hard, because I’ve never really dealt with injury, and that’s probably been a challenge in itself, because when I first was feeling pain, I didn’t understand it. Like I didn’t know. I was like, ‘Am I just tight? Am I just getting old? Do I need to hit a stretch? Do I need to get a little rubbed out? Do I need some Icy Hot? What’s going on here?'” she added.

Related: “I’m not saying this is a good thing to brag about, but that’s just how I play” – Caitlin Clark explains why she’s not worried about high turnover rate.

A new challenge
Before this season, durability was one of Clark’s strengths. She played in all 139 games for Iowa and was available in all 46 of the Fever’s games during the 2023-24 WNBA season.

Still, not having a definite timetable for her return is the biggest challenge Clark is currently facing.

“I think the hardest part has just been like the stop-and-go of everything. And also, with the type of injuries that I’ve dealt with, there’s no real… It’s not like six weeks, you’re coming back for the Connecticut Sun game on August 30th or whatever. It’s like, ‘How do you feel?’ And even when I have been back, I don’t know how I’m going to feel the next day after playing… So just like trusting the process with everything and being patient,” the Fever superstar concluded.

Fortunately for Clark, her teammates have stepped up in her absence — Indiana is 18-14 on the season, sitting third in the Eastern Conference team standings, just 2.5 games behind the New York Liberty and Atlanta Dream.