Caitlin Clark Targets Return During Fever's Back-to-Back, Wins Player of the Month

Caitlin Clark says she's feeling good enough to eye a return to the court next week, and the Indiana star capped an eventful few days by picking up two individual honors despite the extended absence.

Clark has not played since exiting in the third quarter of Indiana's 111-109 loss at Phoenix on June 24, when she aggravated a lingering back injury on a hard closeout from Mercury guard Valeriane Ayayi. She sat out the Fever's win over the Los Angeles Sparks on June 27 and will miss Sunday's nationally televised game at the Las Vegas Aces, but Clark said Friday she's targeting a return during Indiana's back-to-back against the Sparks and Mercury on July 8 and July 9.

"(I'm) feeling really positive about getting back into one of the games at the back-to-back," Clark said. "Obviously, (it's) difficult coming back in a back-to-back, so we'll have to be cautious of that. But I feel a lot better and, like I said, (I'm) excited to get back into practice. This week has been very helpful for my overall health."

The back issue is not new. Clark first dealt with it during Indiana's season opener against Dallas, when she left the court to have it adjusted, and she missed a May 20 game against Portland because of the same problem. Fever coach Stephanie White has described the latest setback as a re-aggravation rather than a separate injury.

Indiana didn't miss a beat without her against the Sparks, winning 111-87 behind 26 points from Kelsey Mitchell. But the Fever's four-game trip to open July, capped by the home-and-home with Phoenix, looms as the most likely landing spot for Clark's return.

The injury has not slowed her recognition around the league. Clark was voted a starter for a third consecutive WNBA All-Star Game on Thursday, joining Fever teammates Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell. Among guards, she ranked second in fan voting and third among media, but only 11th in the players' vote, a discrepancy that put her in the same range as Los Angeles' Kelsey Plum, who was voted the 12th-best guard by her peers.

A day later, the league named Clark its Eastern Conference Player of the Month for June, her second career Player of the Month honor and first this season. She averaged 21.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 8.2 assists over 10 games in June while shooting 45.6% from the field and 35.1% from 3-point range. Clark is only the second player in Fever history to win the award, joining Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings, who won it three times.

The All-Star Game is scheduled for July 25 at Chicago's United Center. Whether Clark plays in one or both games of next week's back-to-back remains undecided.

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