The Indiana Fever could be reprimanded for waiting to announce guard Caitlin Clark (back) would miss Wednesday’s home game against the Portland Fire minutes before tip-off.
Yahoo Sports shared Thursday morning that the Fever may have violated WNBA rules on Wednesday night. Per league rules, player availability must be submitted by 5 p.m. local time the day before a game, except during back-to-backs.
Clark didn’t practice on Tuesday but wasn’t listed on the injury report. The Fever waited 100 minutes until Wednesday’s tip-off at 7 p.m. ET to reveal the guard was out.
ESPN’s Alexa Philippou noted that the league could “take a look at” this, given there was no indication that Clark wouldn’t play.
What did Fever coach Stephanie White say about Caitlin Clark’s injury?
Before the Fever’s 90-73 win over the Fire, White said Clark woke up with soreness and stiffness in her back. She then added that the team didn’t sit her because of load management.
“No, absolutely not,” White said. “There’s no managing. She’s healthy. We’re not managing anything. This is just a back issue that we want to make sure we give the time to be ready.”
Asked in a postgame news conference if Clark is injured, White said, “Her back is sore. If there’s anything more detailed than that, that’s [for] the training staff [to address].”
White said she doesn’t expect Clark’s back to become a bigger issue but acknowledged she’s “not a doctor,” so she “[doesn’t] know.” The coach then said she doesn’t expect the Fever to be fined for the injury reporting.
“Not everybody that doesn’t practice or gets a pro day is on the injury report,” the coach said. “That happens all the time. And she wasn’t listed on the injury report earlier because we expected her to play.”
What punishment could the Fever face if investigated?
The Fever would have to pay a fine if the league punished them for the handling of this situation. The Las Vegas Aces were fined an undisclosed amount for not listing center A’ja Wilson on the injury report the day before a game against the New York Liberty on Sept. 8, 2024 (via USA Today’s Callie Fin). Wilson arrived at the matchup in a medical boot.
It’s too soon to know if the Fever will face the same punishment. If the league does launch an investigation, expect it to be thorough.
Clark is the WNBA’s biggest draw. As such, it’s on the Fever to better follow the guidelines. They don’t want fans to discover Clark isn’t playing minutes before tip-off, leaving them disappointed.