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Caitlin Clark will make her return to the court this Saturday, when the Indiana Fever host the New York Liberty at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the team announced Friday. Clark was initially expected to miss four games after suffering a quad strain during the 90-88 loss to the Liberty on May 24, but instead missed five contests. She said rushing back wouldn't be "worth it," but now feels good enough to return to the lineup. 

Clark was averaging 19 points, 6 rebounds and 9.3 assists per game before the quad strain injury. She actually hadn't missed a game since high school, and her inactive status on May 28 vs. the Washington Mystics snapped a streak of 185 consecutive games played.

With Caitlin Clark and Tyrese Haliburton leading Fever and Pacers, Indy has become center of basketball world
Jack Maloney
With Caitlin Clark and Tyrese Haliburton leading Fever and Pacers, Indy has become center of basketball world

The 4-5 Fever are 2-3 without Clark, and things clearly deteriorated without her in the lineup. Sydney Colson and Sophie Cunningham suffered injuries in the second game without Clark, causing the Fever to drop below 10 healthy players. Indiana used an emergency hardship exception on Aari McDonald.  

Clark said she gained a "unique perspective" having to sit out for the first time in her basketball life. It's an experience that could prove beneficial in some ways.

"When you're out there playing and in the heat of the moment you don't always realize everything, you don't always see everything," Clark said. "You see things from a different perspective that maybe the coaching staff didn't see, so it's certainly different. I'm trying to be that connector between my coaches and my teammates, whether that's in the locker room at halftime, whether that's during timeouts." 

The 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year set the all-time record for assists in a single season (337), and also hit the second-most three-pointers in a single season ever with 122. Clark recorded two triple-doubles as a rookie, becoming the only first-year WNBA player to accomplish the feat, and started off the 2024 regular season with a triple-double vs. the Chicago Sky as well.