Now that the excitement of All-Star Weekend has faded, it’s back to reality for Indiana Fever fans. Sitting at 12-11, the team hasn’t exactly lived up to the sky-high expectations set at the start of the season.

They had brought in the 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year, signed players like Natasha Howard and DeWanna Bonner, and sounded confident about eyeing the championship. But here we are. If we could pick one reason? Caitlin Clark’s injury. But luckily for everyone, Coach White has an update.

One of the biggest absences from All-Star Weekend? Caitlin Clark. Just days before the festivities, she left the TD Garden court in tears, grabbing her groin after the game against the Connecticut Sun. That moment all but confirmed the fact that she wouldn’t be competing in the 3-point contest or suiting up as a team captain in the All-Star Game. “I’m disappointed that I wasn’t able to participate last night and won’t be able to participate tonight, but still getting to be around and be a part of everything is really important for myself and for the fans,” Clark had said ahead of the All-Star game.

Sure, Clark did turn up and made her presence felt outside the court, but if there’s one thing fans want to see from her every single day? It’s her balling out on the court. And Stephanie White wants that just as much. Can you blame her? The Fever are 5-6 without Clark in the team. Now finally, Coach White has given an update on her injury status.

“Well, I haven’t seen C since the game last night, but you know I think she’s progressing. I think we are continuing to address everything that needs to be addressed. She is going to see some doctors and get more tests run early in the week,” White said. “You know I don’t expect her to be available this Tuesday. So we are just going to take it one day at a time.”

With the Fever playing the Liberty again this Tuesday at the Barclays Center, Caitlin Clark is set to miss what would be her 12th game of the season. And for someone who once went 185 straight games without missing a single one? Yeah… that’s tough. It all began in May, when the franchise announced she would be missing 2 weeks of action with a left quad injury.

What started with Caitlin Clark missing five games quickly snowballed into a much bigger concern. Since then, she’s dealt with two more groin-related setbacks, bringing her total missed games this season to 12 and counting. The uncertainty around her return continues to grow, and according to sports physician Dr. Morsey, if specific treatments are not followed, “She’s going to be at high risk for a reinjury for the rest of the season, and won’t be 100% until the offseason.” So, as tough as it is to hear, Fever fans may need to brace for more time without their star.

The injuries have not just affected the Fever; it has affected Caitlin as well.

Caitlin Clark and her shooting slump

A lot has been said about Caitlin Clark’s shooting slump in recent days. She’s shooting just 36.7% from the field and 27.9% from three, numbers that clearly show she hasn’t quite looked like herself. And recently, things have only gotten tougher. The biggest reason behind it all? Her lingering injury issues.

Since returning from her first groin injury, Clark has managed just 50 points across four games, shooting a rough 31.1% from the field. Her 3-point numbers? Even worse. She shot just 24.3% from beyond the arc. For a sharpshooter of her caliber, we’re simply not used to seeing these kinds of numbers from her. But Clark’s aware and she’s ready to get back to recovery.

“I’m not going to pretend I’ve been getting round-the-clock treatment,” she said during the pre-game presser on Saturday night. “I’m still soaking in this weekend and enjoying the moment. But once it wraps up, my full focus shifts to getting as healthy as possible.”

So will she bounce back as the season progresses? We certainly hope so!