Caitlin Clark couldn’t pick a better date to make her return from a quad injury.
The Indiana Fever star returns on Saturday, June 14, in a highly anticipated rematch with the WNBA defending champion New York Liberty at Gainbridge Fieldhouse that will be televised at 3 p.m. ET on ABC.
The Fever announced Clark’s return on Instagram with the caption: “She’s back.”
The unbeaten Liberty narrowly defeated the Fever on May 24 when Clark sustained the injury.
“I’m excited,” Clark told reporters after Friday’s practice when asked about her return. “It’s definitely been a process. I think the hardest part is when you’re beginning to feel really good and you’re working yourself back into getting up and down and going out there with my teammates.”
The Fever star has been out since May 26, missing the team’s five games. They went 2-5 in Clark’s absence.
“Obviously, that could get a little difficult at the same time when they’re prepping for their games that I know I’m not gonna be available in. The medical team, I have to give them a lot of credit, they did a really good job,” Clark added. “Just tried to control my mindset the whole time that I’ve been out and learn from the bench.
“It was certainly a learning opportunity, and I think it’s gonna benefit me a lot throughout my career. Just falling back and understanding certain moments like this, but I’m super, super excited. I’m angsty to get out there.”
Clark is averaging 19.0 points, 9.3 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals this season.
Another Fever Key Player Also Makes Injury Return
Fever guard Sophie Cunningham will also make her return, the Fever announced.
Cunningham missed the last five games with an ankle injury.
Both Clark and Cunningham participated in Thursday’s practice which sparked talks of their return from injury.
“I mean, I think the biggest thing is just understanding that we have the opportunity to grow through some circumstances that might not be ideal,” Fever coach Stephanie White told reporters. “You know, the ball’s getting in other people’s hands outside of Caitlin [Clark], on the floor, and how are we able to get one another in position to be successful? You know, players are getting minutes that might have been limited with both Caitlin and Sophie out.”
Cunningham is averaging 6.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists this season.
Caitlin Clark in Group Text With Pacers Star
While recovering from her injury, Clark has been a staple of the Indiana Pacers‘ home games.
According to a ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, Clark is part of an exclusive group chat with Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, who is leading the Pacers’ Cinderella run with a 2-1 series lead in the NBA Finals.
“At this point in the postseason, very few people get through to Haliburton on his cell, much less get a response,” Shelburne wrote. “But there’s one group chat that’s always active, and Haliburton wasn’t about to miss all the chatter on this night.
“There are four people in the group: Haliburton, his longtime girlfriend Jade Jones, Indiana Fever superstar guard Caitlin Clark, and her boyfriend, Connor McCaffery,” Shelburne added.
Haliburton told Shelburne they are “talking 24/7.”
Clark’s boyfriend previously worked for the Pacers as a player development intern.
Fever Announce Massive Caitlin Clark Update