Caitlin Clark Injury Update: Is Clark Playing Today vs. Sparks?

As the Indiana Fever continue to jockey for positioning in the Eastern Conference, they’ll be doing so without G Caitlin Clark on Saturday night. Ahead of an 8:00 p.m. ET tip against the visiting Los Angeles Sparks, Clark is out with an injury.

Following a scary sequence in Wednesday’s loss to the Phoenix Mercury, Clark is being given some time to recover with an extended break looming for both player and team. 

Below, we'll break down the latest Caitlin Clark injury update, Clark’s outlook for tonight, and who to target on PrizePicks in Sparks vs. Fever.

Make your WNBA picks on PrizePicks — including ones on Sparks vs. Fever on Saturday.

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Caitlin Clark Injury Update: Latest News, Timeline Ahead of Sparks vs. Fever

Clark is officially listed as out for Sparks-Fever with a back designation, per the official WNBA injury report. 

In the first half of Wednesday’s game, Clark was going to the floor with the ball before passing it out for a teammate and getting hit in the throat area by Mercury F Alyssa Thomas. Clark stayed in the game but later fell on a closeout to her 3-point attempt and eventually left in the third quarter.

Thomas has since been suspended one game and assessed a Flagrant 2 foul for the contact to Clark. In the aftermath of the incident and aforementioned fall, head coach Stephanie White is holding her star player out of the lineup to prioritize her “long-term health and wellness.” 

Clark, who White says is “OK,” came into the season with back issues but has only missed one game thus far. She sat out 31 contests last year due to injury, which likely was factored into the team’s caution here.

In her 17 games played, Clark has shined for Indiana, averaging 21.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 8.2 assists. She’s ramped things up in a big way in her last seven outings, producing 24.7 PPG on 49.5% shooting from the field and 36% on 3-pointers. 

The Fever enter Saturday night’s game at 10-8 on the year, good for the No. 3 seed in the East. They won’t play again until July 5 after this one, giving Clark over a week to rest her aching back. 

Elsewhere, F Cameron Brink (ankle) and G Kelsey Plum (lower leg) are out for the Sparks and aren’t with the team. 

What Fever Players to Target on PrizePicks With Clark Out?

With Clark missing Saturday’s game, what are the Fever losing? A scoring and facilitating punch are obvious answers, but the advanced metrics paint a complicated picture.

According to databallr, Clark adds 4.2 points per 100 possessions to the offense when she’s on the floor. When she leaves the court, however, Indiana’s defensive rating swing is 8.9 points better. That gives her an ugly -4.6 net on-off, although that number was +7.3 last year.

Regardless of what the data says, it’s clear to anyone who watches the Fever that Clark is oftentimes the heart, soul, and engine of the team. Now that she’s unavailable, who could step up and deliver against the Sparks? A few players come to mind. 

G Kelsey Mitchell, Clark’s backcourt running mate, is enjoying quite the season. The three-time All-Star is pouring in 21.4 PPG to lead the team, doing so on remarkable 48.6/38.7/82.9 shooting splits. 

C-F Aliyah Boston is also chipping in 17.0 PPG and 8.6 RPG of her own, and her expanded range is helping Indiana’s attack quite a bit. The fourth-year standout is taking a career-high 2.7 treys a night and making 41.3% of them. 

Don’t forget about G Sophie Cunningham, either. She’s started just three of her 17 games logged this year, but she’s still managing to put up 9.6 PPG and nearly be a member of the 50/40/90 club in the process. There’s no shortage of offensive talent on this roster.

Here are the Fever players who may benefit most on PrizePicks with Clark out, as well as their stat projections for tonight.

• Kelsey Mitchell vs. Sparks: 23.5 Points / 4 Assists / 2.5 3-PT Made
• Aliyah Boston vs. Sparks: 16.5 Points / 9.5 Rebounds / 4 Assists
• Sophie Cunningham vs. Sparks: 10.5 Points / 3.5 Rebounds / 1.5 3-PT Made (Goblin)

As a go-to scorer for the Fever even with Clark in the lineup, Mitchell might be even more worth looking into for Saturday WNBA picks now that Clark is banged up. 

Pick More or Less on Fever player stats on PrizePicks now before the 8:00 p.m. ET tip.

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Make Sparks vs. Fever Picks on PrizePicks

The Fever eye a playoff spot down the road, and even Saturday’s interconference matchup with the Sparks impacts that path. Can Indiana get the job done minus Clark as the weekend rolls on?

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