Clark has missed her last five games due to a quad injury. It’s her first absence as a professional, and she didn’t miss time in college, either. She had to recover and be patient, and also had to learn what it’s like to be sidelined and unable to contribute.
“I think the hardest part is when you begin to feel really good. And then it’s just a process of working yourself back into actually getting up and down and getting out there with my teammates,” Clark shared on Friday after practicing for the second day in a row. “And I think that can be difficult when they’re prepping for other games.”
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The Fever had to adjust significantly with Clark on the shelf, going 2-3 in five games without the young star. Their style, which was formed in the offseason with new additions in free agency, is fast-paced and based around spacing. Clark is the center of it all, so her absence was difficult to navigate.
While out, Clark attacked her rehab hard. She was shooting quickly after the Indiana Fever announced she would be out, and she was running on exercise equipment nearly 10 days ago. Along the way, she had to manage her body with activities like needling, red light therapy and some time in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. She was intentional about the rehab process.
Now, she’s able to return. “There was imaging done to tell that my leg is okay,” Clark said, feeling confident in the result. “They didn’t find anything or see anything, and that was kind of my ‘all clear’. I knew I was feeling really good, so that was no surprise. … Change of direction and sprinting, in the game of basketball, that’s the biggest part of it. So me feeling comfortable in those movements … after we saw the imaging, I was good to go.”
Clark last played on May 24. Fittingly, that game was against the Liberty, and that’s when she started experiencing discomfort. That led to testing, and then the diagnosis of her quad injury that has held her out. She will return against the same foe tomorrow.
“She’s working her way back. I felt like today was better than yesterday in terms of just movement and balance and feeling like she’s getting in a rhythm,” Fever head coach Stephanie White said after her team practiced on Friday. “As long as we don’t have any regressions, she’s going to be able to roll,” she added, noting that swelling or any other injury carryovers would count as a regression. White doesn’t anticipate any of this happening, though, and believes Clark (and Cunningham) will be back tomorrow.
Without Clark, it has been difficult to evaluate the Indiana Fever early in this season. They’ve been up and down, losing close games here and pummelling weaker opponents there. Their net rating is far better than their record, and the Fever are still searching for a marquee win. With Clark back, Saturday’s game against the Liberty is a chance for the team to do exactly that.
With the star guard sidelined, Aari McDonald was added on a hardship contract and filled in ably. She must be released now with the Fever getting healthy, but Clark’s return means the team should be back to their normal form. “I’m super, super excited. I’m antsy to get out there,” Clark said. “Probably shake off a little bit of rust and play.”
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While sidelined, Clark often sat near the Fever’s coaching staff. It helped her learn as much as possible — more than would have happened had she constantly sat with her teammates. During her time on the mend, Clark soaked up as much as possible and was able to at least find some positives during her absence.
“There’s certain things in games that we have to be able to see a little bit faster and earlier in the games,” Clark said. “It’s obviously easier on the side. And I was talking to quite a few of my teammates. I’m like, ‘I know it’s so hard’. When I’m out on the bench, it’s easier for me to just process the action of what’s going on. When you’re in the game and you have the ball in your hands, you’re thinking about so many different things.”
Clark got a fresh perspective on her team while out, and she’ll hope to apply it upon returning. The Fever are 4-5 this season and went 2-2 with Clark in the lineup to start the year. She’s averaging 19 points and 9.3 assists per game this season.
