Despite spending a fifth consecutive game in street clothes nursing a stubborn groin strain, Caitlin Clark still found a way to grab the spotlight on Saturday. From her courtside seat she watched the Indiana Fever squander a late advantage and slip to an 89-87 heart-breaker against the Los Angeles Sparks, yet the sidelined superstar’s charisma never sat idle.
During a timeout, television cameras caught Clark enthusiastically greeting her teammates—Sophie Cunningham among them—before turning to offer an equally energetic high-five to veteran official Jason Alabanza. The referee, amused, let the gesture hang just long enough to tease the 23-year-old guard before lightly tapping her shoulder. Clark, realizing she had been playfully duped, jogged back to the bench laughing, the moment instantly circulating on social media.
The Fever’s mood, however, soured once the clock resumed. Only days earlier the franchise had lifted its first silverware since 2012 by claiming the Commissioner’s Cup in Minnesota and then dismantling the defending-champion Las Vegas Aces by 27. That momentum fizzled at Crypto.com Arena, and Indiana is now an even 4-4 with Clark on the floor and 5-5 when she is limited to cheerleading duties.
Indianapolis will nevertheless celebrate Clark in two weeks when the WNBA All-Star Game arrives in town. Fan voting made her a captain alongside Lynx forward Napheesa Collier, granting the pair draft-room privileges as they assemble rosters from the league’s elite. The honor marks Clark’s second-straight All-Star selection just halfway through her sophomore season.
Before this latest injury spell the former Iowa sensation had battled a rare shooting funk—an icy 1-for-17 combined from deep over two outings and an 0-for-6 line against Seattle chief among the lows. Even so, the Fever have rallied around their franchise cornerstone, trusting that once her groin heals the same competitive spark that led to Saturday’s light-hearted prank will reignite Indiana’s playoff push.
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