The Indiana Fever found its rhythm after blowing out the Chicago Sky 92-70 on August 9, and Caitlin Clark may be returning to the lineup soon.
On August 10, the WNBA website updated Clark’s status to game-time decision (GTD), and her teammate, Natasha Howard, hinted at the superstar’s return.
Howard reposted Kelsey Mitchell’s post-game interview from August 9 with a heartfelt message. “We will always fight for each other, but we feel this fight is a little different with our girls out the lineup. All the hard work they’ve put in over this season won’t go unnoticed. Win or lose, just know we are fighting to the end for Syd, CC & Ari. See you soon CC,” Howard tweeted.
Indiana Recap
Indiana is 18-14 on the season and is fifth in league standings. The franchise is 6-4 out of its last ten games.
On August 7, Aari McDonald and Sydney Colson both suffered season-ending injuries, which depleted the Fever’s backcourt depth. Clark has been out of the lineup since July 16 due to a groin injury.
The Iowa product returning to the team is a huge step in the right direction. However, the team has been resilient in the absence of its star.
Without Clark in the lineup, Kelsey Mitchell (19.9), Aliyah Boston (15.1), and Natasha Howard (11.5) have been carrying the offensive load. Lexie Hull was inserted into the starting lineup for the Fever against the Sky.
Hull finished the game with 17 points, three rebounds, and three assists while shooting 66% from three. Sophie Cunningham finished with 16 points and shot 50% from three against Chicago.
Both Cunningham and Hull have been filling in and providing the team with ball-handling.
The Hardships
Indiana will be without two of its vital backcourt pieces, but the team signed veteran Odyssey Sims to a hardship contract on August 10. The franchise qualified for the hardship roster spot due to the season-ending injuries of McDonald and Colson.
Sims was waived from the Los Angeles Sparks on July 2 after the franchise welcomed two of its players back to the roster. She started the season with the Sparks and provided stability for the organization.
The 33-year-old guard is averaging 9.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while shooting 35.3% from three. She has played with the Tulsa Shock (2014-15), Dallas Wings (2016,2023-24), Sparks (2017-18,2024-25), Minnesota Lynx (2019-20,2022), Atlanta Dream (2021), and the Connecticut Sun (2022).
The Fever will most likely retain Sims for the remainder of the 2025 season because the roster won’t have 12 active players. She will wear No.1 as the team’s newest player.
The Caitlin Clark Effect
Although Clark has been updated to GTD, there is no guarantee that she will be ready for the team’s August 12 matchup against the Wings. Needless to say, her future return will help expand the team’s progress.
The 23-year-old will take over as the primary ball handler. Nonetheless, she will have another guard in Sims who can take pressure off of her.
Clark is averaging 16.5 points, five rebounds, 8.8 assists, and 1.6 steals. She is struggling to shoot from three, but she continues to get her teammates involved.
Will Paige Bueckers and Clark face off on August 12? The Wings’ rookie is listed as available despite recent back issues.
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