Caitlin Clark will not play in Sparks vs Fever on June 27 because of a back injury, leaving Indiana without its top guard for the 19th regular-season game. Tyasha Harris is expected to start in Clark’s place, and the Fever will have to manage the matchup without one of the WNBA’s most visible players.
Indiana Fever at 10-8
Stephanie White told reporters on Friday, June 26 that Clark would miss the game. Indiana enters at 10-8 after a 111-109 loss to the Phoenix Mercury on June 24, when Clark left with 5:15 remaining in the third quarter.
The move puts Harris at the center of the backcourt. For Indiana, that means the ball-handling load shifts immediately, with the Fever trying to replace Clark’s scoring and playmaking in one game instead of rebuilding the rotation over time.
Kelsey Plum out for Los Angeles
The Sparks have their own problem. Kelsey Plum is expected to be out for four weeks with a left leg injury, so Los Angeles enters at 8-9 without its leading scorer and top distributor. Nneka Ogwumike is averaging 16.1 points and a team-high 8.6 rebounds, but the Sparks also come off a 125-97 loss to the Toronto Tempo on June 25, when Marina Mabrey tied the WNBA’s single-game scoring record with 53 points.
That leaves both teams short-handed in different ways. Indiana is trying to win without Clark, while the Sparks are missing Plum, and the matchup shifts from a star-driven guard duel to a test of depth, shot creation, and who handles the pressure possessions cleanly.
7 p.m CT in Indiana
Fans can watch the game live on CBS, KCCI in central Iowa, or by streaming it on Paramount+. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m CT, and the result lands in the middle of a schedule that has already forced Indiana to play through Clark’s back issue twice this season, including the May 20 win over Portland.
Clark said after the May 9 opener that her back gets out of line pretty quickly. She has also dealt with injuries that limited her to 13 games in 2025, and this absence adds another checkpoint for Indiana’s lineup before the summer stretch deepens.
