INDIANAPOLIS — For the primary time since struggling a quad damage that has had her out for a week-and-a-half, Caitlin Clark spoke to the media after apply on Thursday.
Clark stated she was “making a variety of progress” and will likely be re-evaluated over the weekend, matching the two-week timeframe initially given by the Fever.
“I’ll be reevaluated this weekend,” Clark stated, “so I’ll miss this weekend’s sport, however after that it’s daily and see how I really feel and simply type of flip to the medical workers and what they assume. I really feel like I’ve made a variety of progress. I really feel good. I’m not going to hurry coming again. It’s simply not price it, however after this weekend, I’ll be reevaluated and we’ll have a greater thought.”
The damage, Clark revealed, occurred early throughout Indiana’s sport in opposition to the Fever. Whereas Clark couldn’t pinpoint the precise second or play it occurred, she stated it occurred early on.
“Clearly, adrenaline covers up a variety of stuff while you’re within the warmth of battle and after the sport I had some ache after which I received an MRI and that gave me the outcome that I didn’t need to see,” Clark stated. “However you understand these kind of issues don’t lie.”
The Fever do have a sport on Tuesday, which might come after Clark has been re-evaluated. When requested if she could possibly be obtainable for that sport, nonetheless, she was non-committal.
“We’re attempting to not put like an actual date on the market as a result of it’s type of a day-by-day factor and see how I really feel,” Clark stated. “This sort of damage, you don’t know. After I get up, I’ll really feel totally different than the day earlier than. We’ll see. It could possibly be a chance, however I might additionally not be obtainable for that sport, too.”
It’s the primary time Clark has missed video games in not simply her transient skilled profession, but additionally even earlier than her faculty profession, too. It’s a brand new problem for the second-year guard, who has remained a relentless determine on the sidelines all through, cheering her teammates on…and nonetheless arguing with the refs.
“I feel it’s been totally different,” Clark stated. “I feel simply having good perspective is one of the simplest ways to strategy it. Like, yeah, you might be annoyed and what not, however I feel the medical staff has achieved a very good job of doing my rehab each single day, staying in a routine, coming in getting pictures up.
“However greater than something I feel simply specializing in being a very good teammate, being there for my teammates, being a voice for them as a result of that’s what I’m once I’m enjoying, so you bought to nonetheless be that constant voice once I’m sitting on the bench.”
Alongside these strains, Clark has sat alongside the teaching workers throughout video games, which has additionally allowed her a “distinctive perspect,” as she known as it on Thursday, in addition to the prospect to proceed studying even whereas sideliend.
“Once you’re on the market enjoying and truly within the warmth of the second, you don’t notice every little thing, you don’t all the time see every little thing,” Clark stated. “You see issues from a special perspective that perhaps the teaching workers didn’t see. So it’s definitely totally different. I’m attempting to type of be that connector between the coaches after which my teammates on the identical time, whether or not that’s within the locker room at halftime, whether or not that’s throughout time outs.
“It’s taught me lots. I’ve by no means been in that place earlier than, really getting to look at from the bench for an prolonged time period.”
With out her, Clark and the Fever have struggled, going 1-2 whereas coping with accidents to Sydney Colson and Sophie Cunningham throughout that span, too. It’s been a attempting time for the whole staff, which got here into this season with championship expectations which have needed to be placed on pause in the interim.
Clark joked that she isn’t a affected person particular person, in order that, too, has challenged her throughout her absence. On the identical time, she can be approaching that from a studying perspective, too.
“I’ve by no means been a affected person particular person in my whole life, so that is undoubtedly testing me a little bit bit, however I feel it’s going to be actually good for me,” Clark stated. “Like I stated, I’ve simply tried to strategy it in one of the simplest ways I probably can. I can’t change it. However yeah, I feel my persistence has undoubtedly grown lots and like I stated, simply attempting to develop and be taught and I feel I’ve definitely achieved that.”
That persistence must be in place for not less than a little bit bit longer as she’ll miss not less than yet one more sport in opposition to the Sky over the weekend.
If issues go nicely for Clark and the Fever throughout her re-evaluation, a return could possibly be simply across the nook for the celebrity guard.
