Clark hopeful of returning for Fever against Sparks but may avoid back-to-back against Storm

Clark hopeful of returning for Fever against Sparks but may avoid back-to-back against Storm 1 of 3 | Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) shoots over Atlanta Dream forward Sika Kone (23) in the first half of a WNBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Thursday, June 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) 2 of 3 | Atlanta Dream guard Jordin Canada, right, drives under Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark in the second half of a WNBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Thursday, June 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) 3 of 3 | Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) drives on Atlanta Dream guard Te-Hina Paopao (2) in the first half of a WNBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Thursday, June 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) 1 of 3 | Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) shoots over Atlanta Dream forward Sika Kone (23) in the first half of a WNBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Thursday, June 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) 1 of 3 Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) shoots over Atlanta Dream forward Sika Kone (23) in the first half of a WNBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Thursday, June 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 2 of 3 | Atlanta Dream guard Jordin Canada, right, drives under Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark in the second half of a WNBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Thursday, June 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) 2 of 3 Atlanta Dream guard Jordin Canada, right, drives under Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark in the second half of a WNBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Thursday, June 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 3 of 3 | Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) drives on Atlanta Dream guard Te-Hina Paopao (2) in the first half of a WNBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Thursday, June 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) 3 of 3 Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) drives on Atlanta Dream guard Te-Hina Paopao (2) in the first half of a WNBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Thursday, June 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share LOS ANGELES (AP) — Caitlin Clark says she feels good enough to return from her back injury Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Sparks. If she does, the Indiana Fever All-Star doesn’t expect to play in Thursday’s highly anticipated rematch at Phoenix.Clark has spent the last two weeks rehabbing from an injury that forced her out of a June 24 game against the Mercury. Earlier in the game, Clark was seen grimacing after taking a hit to her throat, a play that prompted league officials to suspend Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas for one game for what it described as “recklessly making contact with her fist” and set off a polarizing debate about cleaning up the game. While an eight-day break heading into Sunday’s game at Las Vegas managed to tamp down some of the rhetoric, it wasn’t enough to get Clark back in action. Two additional days off may be. “Very hopeful for tomorrow and, obviously, it’ll be difficult for me to play both — this one on Wednesday and then the one on Thursday — but we’ll see,” Clark said as Tuesday’s practice started. “Obviously, from a health standpoint, just getting back into it, I would assume I’d be on a minutes restriction (Wednesday). Still hopeful of a little bit more than 20 if I’m able to go. Hopefully, I feel good after the game versus Los Angeles and then will be available in (Las) Vegas (on Sunday) .” 3 MIN READ 1 MIN READ 3 MIN READ Coach Stephanie White was more cautious about Clark’s availability, acknowledging she was still waiting for the team’s medical experts to clear Clark for game action. “I do what I’m told, I stay in my lane so whatever medical says we need to do to make sure she’s ready and whatever she needs to feel comfortable and confident is what we’ll do,” White said. “It’s an adjustment based on who’s playing and rotations and all of that, and it’s an adjustment based on how we play. But certainly we want to make sure the message is the same and it’s clear her long-term health and well is the most important thing. So if she’s ready, she’ll play.” Clark has missed three of Indiana’s first 20 games this season after appearing in just 13 of 44 games in 2025. The Fever are 3-0 without her this season and reached the 2025 WNBA semifinals without Clark. Still, her repeated injuries and the physicality opponents have used against one of the sport’s most popular players have led to a debate about what the league should do.White has spoken out about what Clark has faced, including uncalled fouls such as the one in which Thomas landed on top of Clark with her fist on Clark’s throat. Thomas has since said she received death threats, something White and Clark both called unacceptable last week.But the saga took a new twist Tuesday UConn coach Geno Auriemma appeared on the “Sports Media with Richard Deitsch” podcast. The Hall of Fame coach said he doesn’t blame Clark for the attention she receives but believes Clark’s supporters have stirred many of the controversies that have surrounded Clark through her first three pro seasons.“Because the bandwagon and the fandom became so obsessed with the whole thing, it turned into a cause,” Auriemma said. ”(Clark) became the reason why white players get beat up in the WNBA and she became the reason why Black players don’t get the endorsements and don’t get the adulation that white players get. Not every foul is a good foul. Not every foul’s a bad foul, but there are fouls that are flagrant — but that’s all they are.” All Clark wants to do, though, is play, something she hopes resumes Wednesday night.“I feel good about the stuff we’re doing to help with (the back). Obviously, it’s not always fun sitting on a plane for four hours and traveling a lot,” she said. “It’s hard on your body to travel and be on the road for 10 days and sleeping in different hotels and things like that. But I’m doing everything I can to be as healthy as possible. I really trust the people that are helping me and like I said I feel good, especially going into tomorrow.”