Why Caitlin Clark can't return during the Fever’s magical playoff run
As the Fever keep winning in the WNBA Playoffs, many are asking if Caitlin Clark could return. The short answer: no — and here’s why.
LAS VEGAS — It’s been a while since the Indiana Fever have played this deep into the season. Last week, the franchise celebrated its first playoff win in a decade.
Then another.
And another, this time on Sunday in Las Vegas.
The Fever are 3-1 during this special postseason run, defying odds and all outside expectations as the 6-seed and with six players unavailable due to injury.
One of those sidelined is the highest-profile player in the league: Caitlin Clark. She has been out since July 15 after injuring to her right groin, later compounded by a bone bruise in her left ankle suffered a few weeks later.
On Sept. 4, two weeks before the start of the playoffs, the Fever made a collaborative decisive to rule Clark out for the remainder of the 2025 season. She announced the news on social media.
“I had hoped to share a better update, but I will not be returning to play this season,” Clark wrote.
“I spent hours in the gym every day with the singular goal of getting back out there, disappointed isn’t a big enough word to describe how I am feeling. I want to thank everyone who had my back through all the uncertainty.”
General manager Amber Cox added: “We are looking forward to having her back at full strength to start the 2026 season.”
Still, with the Fever’s extended postseason run, many fans are wondering if a return is possible.
The answer is simple: no.
Teams must submit an active roster before the playoffs, and Clark was not included. Adding her would have meant losing a hardship player spot, a temporary roster exception that allows teams to carry extra players when others are injured.
Once the postseason begins, teams cannot add hardship players or make changes to the roster. That means the Fever’s playoff roster is set.
Clark, limited to 13 games this season, continues rehabbing and getting shots up — including at shootaround in Atlanta before Game 3 — but she is not practicing with the team.
Beyond the roster rules, she has not competed in a game for more than two months — which impacts her conditioning, game rhythm and timing.
For now, Clark remains a visible presence, proudly leading the Fever’s “Bench Mob.”
She’s worn Black Air Force 1s during three straight games — all Fever wins.
She’s also been more active on social media throughout the playoff run, tweeting “Kelsey unreal” after MVP finalist Kelsey Mitchell’s scored a game-high 34 points to lead the Fever to a double-digit Game 1 win Sunday in Las Vegas.
The day before, Clark revealed that the WNBA fined her $200 for commenting “Refs couldn’t stop us” on an Instagram post about the Bench Mob’s energy and spirit.
Clark also tweeted “STEPHANIE WHITE !!!!!!!!!!!” following Indiana’s series-clinching win over the Atlanta Dream last week — the franchise’s first playoff series victory since its 2015 Finals run.
The next time fans will see Clark on the court will be the 2026 season.
Until then, Indiana’s improbable postseason run continues — powered by a connected, likable group that has won eight of its last 11 and shows no sign of slowing down.