Imagine being an Indiana Fever fan, sitting on your couch, watching the WNBA draft on April 15, 2024, bursting from your seat when you see that the Fever selected basketball phenom, Caitlin Clark, as the number one draft pick. Fans were confident the Indiana Fever would soon have an outstanding upcoming season with Clark on the team.
WNBA fans everywhere across the country are shocked to find out extraordinary player Caitlin Clark will be out for the remainder of this ‘25 season.
Caitlin suffered many injuries, resulting in her decision to rule out the remaining season. May 24, 2025, was just the start of her long list of injuries. According to NBC New’s author, Rohan Nadkarni, in May, she suffered a left quad injury. Following that, Clark suffered a left groin injury exactly a month later. Caitlin persevered through the pain, but in her last game of the season, she suffered a right groin injury. Lastly, in August, Caitlin suffered a bone bruise in her left ankle while recovering from her groin injury. These are injuries that would force any player to take time off to recover from.
Caitlin Clark had an outstanding rookie season in 2024. According to Britannica.com’s Fred Frommer, in her first professional season, she managed an impressive 19.2 points per game and led the WNBA in assists with an average of 8.2 per game. She not only achieved WNBA Rookie of the Year, but also set a WNBA rookie record for most points and most three-point baskets.
Caitlin Clark first came to fame after becoming the NCAA women’s all-time leading scorer for the Iowa Hawkeyes. She was a standout player during her collegiate career at Iowa, achieving numerous personal and team accomplishments. As Frommer stated, during her freshman year at Iowa, she put up stellar numbers, averaging 26.6 points per game and 7.1 assists; these made her favored to win the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Year. As Clark’s love for the game continued to grow, so did her numbers; she put up exceptional numbers each year of her collegiate career, beating her previous points per game each year. By her senior season, her games were routinely sellouts, home and away, which was unheard of from women’ s college basketball. During one of her final games, Clark broke Kelsey Plum’s all-time scoring record with 3,951 points (wow!). All of these accomplishments added to her becoming the number one overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft.
Fans all over the world were disappointed to hear the upsetting news. Caitlin Clark is not only known for her exceptional playmaking skills and ability to shoot deep threes from nearly halfcourt, but she is also an inspiration to little girls all over the world, which is why Caitlin attracts people to the sport. According to ESPN, WNBA viewership was at its all-time high in 24 years attracting more than 54 million viewers across all streaming platforms. The WNBA also had its highest attendance rate in 22 years, at about 2.4 million fans; that is a 48% increase in attendance over last season. A majority of this outcome was in thanks to Caitlin Clark.
Once Caitlin Clark is healthy again, she will be able to practice at the new $78 million state-of-the-art practice facility being built. According to the Indiana Fever, this world-class training complex just started construction in August and is expected to be completed before the 2027 WNBA season. This new facility, named Indiana Fever Sports Performance Center, will be located in downtown Indianapolis, on the former Marion County Jail Site. Previously, the Indiana Fever practiced at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where the Indiana Pacers play. The Indiana Fever Performance Center will be exclusively for the Indiana Fever use, so the players will not have to share it with other teams. The facility will include two regulation-sized courts, strength and conditioning equipment, a hydration station, spa, sauna, and even a hair and nail salon. These amenities will not only support women’s physical health, but their mental health as well. Mel Raines, CEO of Pacers Sports and Entertainment, said, “she is excited to give the women the resources to help them thrive on and off the court.” This is just the start of the big steps in advancing the future of the game for women.
Personally, it is a dream to be able to watch Caitlin Clark play so close to home. She is a humble player, crediting her success to the rest of her team and coaches as well. Clark continues to inspire young fans all over the world, even while injured. Caitlin Clark is expected to return to the game at the start of the 2026 season, and her fans cannot wait.
