'I feel good and not going to rush coming back': Caitlin Clark's full comments on her injury, patience, and plan to return
The Fever guard says she’s feeling good, won’t rush a return, and is focused on growing her voice from the bench. Plus, the thing she misses the most: practice.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark spoke to reporters after practice on Thursday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
It was her first time addressing the media since sustaining a left quad strain against the New York Liberty. It was announced on May 26 that she would miss two weeks, then be re-evaluated.
That will be this weekend, after they play in Chicago on Saturday. Then she’ll be listed as day-to-day.
“I feel like I've made a lot of progress and I feel good,” she said. “Not going to rush coming back. It's just not worth it.”
Watch the interview above — courtesy of the Fever, since I’m on the road covering the NBA Finals — or read her full comments below.
This is the first time you've been out for an extended period, I think, in your college and pro career. What has that been like mentally for you?
I think it's been different. I think just having good perspective is the best way to approach it. You can be frustrated and whatnot, but I think the medical team has done a really good job of doing my rehab every single day, staying in a routine, coming in and getting shots up. But more than anything, I think just focusing on being a really good teammate. Being there for my teammates, being a voice for them — because that's what I am when I'm playing. So you got to still be that consistent voice when I'm sitting on the bench. So I try to do that as much as I can for them.
Just try to be there for them I think has been my focus. And I think that candistract you from not actually playing is when you just focus on your teammates and how can I serve them and help them?
Steph has talked about, you know, this being a good opportunity for you to learn from the bench and learn from the coaching staff.
It’s a unique perspective. When you're out there playing and actually in the heat of the moment, you don't always realize everything. You don't always see everything. You see things from a different perspective that maybe the coaching staff didn't see. So it's certainly different. So I'm trying to kind of be that connector between the coaches and then my teammates at the same time, whether, that's in the locker room at halftime, whether that's during timeouts of things I see from the bench that might be a little bit different of a perspective than maybe our point guard is seeing or, anybody on the floor is seeing.
But yeah, I think it's taught me a lot. I've never been in that position before of like actually getting to watch from the bench for an extended period of time. So I think you can learn the game of basketball just the same amount. It's like the same as like, you turn on the TV and watch the NBA or you watch other WNBA games. That's the best way to learn basketball — just watch and absorb it. And it's the same when I'm not active too.
What are the next steps for you to work your way back? Is there a certain threshold you're looking to reach? Is there a certain time you're going to be re-evaluated?