Fever pick up first win since Caitlin Clark’s injury as superstar still makes impact

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark remained invested in her team’s performance despite a quad injury on Tuesday night against the Washington Mystics as Indiana ended a three-game losing skid

Caitlin Clark remained engaged throughout her team’s win on Tuesday (Image: Getty Images )

Second-year star Caitlin Clark is missing the first games of her basketball career, but that doesn’t mean she’s staying completely out of the limelight.

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Clark, absent from her third consecutive Indiana Fever game with a quad issue, remained engaged while in street clothes on the bench while her injury-ravaged team scraped a 85-76 victory over the Washington Mystics, ending a three-game losing streak.

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Clark spent time both before and after the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse — poised to host at least two NBA Finals games after the Indiana Pacers knocked off the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals — to sign autographs and take pictures with a host of younger fans who went out of their way to meet her.

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Clark remained healthy across her four years at the University of Iowa, enabling her to break Sue Bird’s mark as the all-time NCAA top scorer (men’s and women’s).

She was hurt late in Indiana’s close loss to the New York Liberty in on May 24 and hasn’t featured since. When asked for an update on Clark’s health before Tuesday’s contest, Fever coach Stephanie White admitted she didn’t have one.

“No,” the first-year Indiana coach said. “Not yet. Sorry. I wish.” Clark is expected to miss Saturday’s marquee matchup against Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky.

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Caitlin Clark signs autographs for fans pregame. She understands how much this — by her and teammates — means to young girls and boys. pic.twitter.com/Umv0NVdWyb — Scott Agness (@ScottAgness) June 3, 2025

The two sides last matched up on 2025 opening night: a blowout Indiana win. Clark’s hard foul on Reese in the second half prompted mass conversation on social media despite both players dismissing it as a “basketball play.”

Against the Mystics, Clark’s co-star Kelsey Mitchell tied her season high with 24 points on 7-14 shooting. The veteran has struggled in recent games, but the two-time All-Star’s strong game is a sign that a return to form is around the corner.

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Lexie Hull is a good friend of Clark’s and has seen her role increase with the Fever star’s absence. White trusted her to play a season-best 36 minutes, and she responded in a big way, scoring 14 points while adding six assists.

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Without Clark, betting interest on the league as a whole has substantially dropped.

“We have seen a downturn in WNBA handle and bet count at the Fanatics Sportsbook after Caitlin Clark’s injury,” Fanatics Sportsbook VP of communication Kevin Hennessy told ESPN.

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“She began this season as the most popular selection for prop betting, before she was injured.

“There is no doubt about her popularity, but intense interest in the NBA Playoffs and the championship run of the Indiana Pacers, who play in the same state, probably have a lot to do with this momentary downturn.”

Angel Reese Assigns Blame After Chicago Sky’s Loss Against Mystics originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Chicago Sky fell to 3-8 on the season with a 79-72 loss to the Washington Mystics on Tuesday. It was a particularly frustrating loss, as they got out to a large early lead before their offense dried up.

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Star forward Angel Reese did her part by going 7-of-13 from the field and scoring 17 points, to go along with 10 rebounds and five assists. However, she committed seven turnovers, and afterward, she took responsibility for those miscues by saying she needs to do better.

Chicago Sky forward Angel ReeseDale Zanine-Imagn Images

“For me, 7 TO’s can’t happen. I know I’m trying to make good plays, and I’m looking for the right pass…I gotta be better. That’s on me.”

In this game, Chicago outscored the Mystics 26-11 in the first quarter and led by as many as 17 points at one juncture. But after it was ahead 44-32 at halftime, it scored 28 points in the second half, which allowed the Mystics to get off the mat and emerge victorious.

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Turnovers were Chicago’s big bugaboo in this contest. It had 25 of them, which led to 40 points off turnovers for the Mystics, who also attempted nine more free throws.

Guard Brittney Sykes led the way for Washington with a game-high 32 points on 13-of-24 shooting from the field.

The Sky have struggled on the offensive end all season long. They currently rank 12th in both points per game and offensive rating, and their defense hasn’t been able to pick up the slack.

Tuesday’s game was their final game of Commissioner’s Cup play. They will host the Phoenix Mercury, who are 8-4, on Saturday.

Related: Brittney Griner’s Pregame Exchange With Former WNBA Teammate Catches Attention

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.

Caitlin Clark spotted with baby as Indiana Fever suffer worst loss of season

Caitlin Clark entered the Royal Farms Arena on babysitting duty, carrying her Fever coaches’ child on her shoulders before suffering their worst loss of the season in her absence due to injury

Caitlin Clark walked into Fever-Mystics on babysitting duty (Image: Getty )

Caitlin Clark didn’t play during Wednesday night’s Fever-Mystics game, and Indiana suffered its worst loss of the WNBA season, but she still stole the show and earned cheers with some help while making her way into the opposing Royal Farms Arena.

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The Indiana Fever star’s quad injury forced her to miss the game, and she’s expected to miss at least two weeks of action. Her off-court duties were caught on camera after she was spotted carrying Zayn, the son of Fever assistant coaches Karima Christmas-Kelly and Austin Kelly.

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The short babysitting moment immediately caught traction online before the Fever earned its third loss in five games. Clark wore a cropped green jacket, wide-legged light-wash jeans, and Nike Supreme “Triple White” Air Max while smiling and walking confidently with the child on her shoulders.

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Onlookers and media rushed to take photos and videos, and at one point, she turned to the child and said, “This is your moment,” as the child hilariously looked stonefaced into the camera.

Fans ate up the reaction as one said, “Only way to keep her from trying to get in the game. Swap it out for a baby.”

Another added, “I bet Caitlin would be a great mom,” and a third imagined how the child would be able to brag in the future and said, “That little boy will be showing this clip to all his friends when he gets older. ‘Here I am with the legendary Caitlin Clark!'”

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The clip surfaced during Clark’s first missed game of the 2025 WNBA season and affected much more than just her team.

She was diagnosed with a left quadriceps strain following Indiana’s 90-88 loss to the defending champion New York Liberty last Saturday. Clark dropped 18 points and 10 assists during the game, continuing her run established after last year’s Rookie of the Year season.

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With Clark out, the Fever started a lineup featuring Sydney Colson in her place alongside Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull, Aliyah Boston, and Natasha Howard. DeWanna Bonner led the team with 21 points off the bench in the 83-77.

Despite losing by only six points, the loss ratio was greater than the one-point loss against the Atlanta Dream on May 20, and the two-point loss to the Liberty.

Clark will be off the floor for at least two weeks with an injury (Image: Paras Griffin/Getty Images )

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Mitchell added 14 on a rough 4-for-16 shooting night. The Fever offense looked disjointed without their conductor, who is leading the WNBA in assists at 9.3 per game while averaging 19 points, six rebounds, and 1.3 steals.

Clark also leads the Fever in points, assists, and steals, highlighting just how much she means to head coach Stephanie White’s game plan.

Should the two-week timeline for Clark’s return remain, the Fever point guard will miss four key matchups, including a chance at redemption against Washington on June 3 and rematches against the Chicago Sky and Dream.

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A matchup against the Liberty is scheduled for June 14 and fits the timeline of Clark’s projected return game.