Caitlin Clark Admits Hard Truth Amid Frustrating Injury Situation

After a stellar 2024 rookie season, expectations for Caitlin Clark were through the roof coming into this year.

It's safe to say that things so far haven't worked out the way the Indiana Fever star hoped. Clark has been beset with injuries, appearing in only 13 of her team's 32 games in 2025. 

Clark last played in a game on July 15, when she reinjured her groin in a win over the Connecticut Sun. The 2024 WNBA Rooke of the Year also missed time earlier in the season with a quad issue.

On this week's episode of "Bird's Eye View" with legendary women's hooper Sue Bird, Clark admitted that being out has been tough to swallow, and not just because she wants to compete and help her team.

A "responsibility" to the league 

Clark said that she feels a "responsibility" to get back to the court, for her team and the league.

"It’s hard, because obviously I do feel this responsibility of being out there and playing," Clark said, via Awful Announcing.

It's obvious why Clark would feel she needs to return to help the Fever, but the overall sense of duty she feels to the WNBA is unique. It has to do with the amount of growth she's helped facilitate for the league in terms of fan interest and revenue.

“And not that I think there’s a fear of any of this going away. That doesn’t happen when like, LeBron or Steph get hurt. [Fans] are always going to be there,” Clark added. ”But you do want to play, you want to give people something to cheer about or scream about. People spend so much time, and money, and resources to come and watch you play. And it’s been cool to see people continue to show up for my teammates, whether they’re fans of the Fever just fans of myself, they’re continuing to show up and support.”

Staying patient

The Fever have held their own without Clark, going 10-9 in games she has missed, not counting their Commissioners Cup victory. 

At 18-14 with eight regular season games remaining, they sit in prime position to make the WNBA playoffs for the second straight year. 

With her teammates holding serve, Clark says she is remaining diligent, but also patient, in her rehab.

“Early on with the first couple injuries, I was like, ‘I need to get back,'” Clark told Bird. “But I think my mom texted after this last injury, and they know how hard it’s been on me, but my mom was like,’ You’ve taken so much time for everybody else, you have to take time for yourself now.’ So I’m just trying to do that the best I can, too."