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Caitlin Clark to miss key showdown vs. Paige Bueckers
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Caitlin Clark is already one of the most exciting and talented players in the WNBA in just her 2nd overall season with the Indiana Fever. Unfortunately, she is struggling to stay on the court, putting a damper on what should be a wildly successful season for the former Iowa star.
On Friday, the Fever confirmed that Clark was going to be out for a 2nd straight game, missing a highly anticipated game against the Dallas Wings. That matchup was supposed to pit Clark against Paige Bueckers, the No. 1 overall picks from the last 2 drafts.
Both Clark and Bueckers lead their teams in scoring and assists so far this year, and Clark’s absence puts a damper on the showdown.
Clark is currently in the middle of her 2nd injury absence of the season after never missing a game due to injury across her 4-year career at Iowa. She missed 5 games earlier in the year with a quad injury and has appeared in just 5 games since returning from that ailment.
Combined, Clark will have missed 7 of Indiana’s first 16 games of the season. That would be a bad sign for any key player, but Clark is the Fever’s team leader in scoring, assists and made 3-pointers per game.
The latest absence will hurt Clark’s outlook for the WNBA MVP Award, where she already trails Napheese Collier. The good news is that Clark hasn’t slipped much (yet) from her original deficit in the odds at BetMGM, coming in at +225 while Collier is the frontrunner at -275. However, Clark will need to get back on the court quickly in order to maintain a tight race.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.