Caitlin Clark did not play in fever vs Aces on Sunday, July 5, after saying on Friday, “I would not play in Sunday's game.” Indiana’s 20th regular-season game went on without her at 6 p.m CT, leaving the Fever to handle a nationally available matchup without their lead guard.
Clark’s back injury
The absence traces back to June 24, when Clark left the Indiana Fever’s game against the Phoenix Mercury early with a back injury. She then missed the June 27 contest and sat out multiple practices during the week leading up to the Aces game.
That stretch turned the Friday update into the decisive point for fans waiting on her status. Clark had already been limited enough for the team to manage her week by week, and Sunday arrived with the answer in place before tipoff.
and Disney+
Fans could watch the game live on and Disney+, so the injury news carried direct value for anyone planning around a broadcast window. Instead of a return appearance, the game became another checkpoint in Clark’s recovery and another night Indiana had to play without one of its most watched players.
Clark’s absence also fit into a broader timeline. She said she was targeting a return in at least one of the team’s back-to-back games on its upcoming road trip out West, which gives the next stretch a clearer purpose even if Sunday did not bring her back.
A'ja Wilson and Indiana
The matchup still drew a top-line opponent in A'ja Wilson, who led the Las Vegas Aces in points, rebounds, steals and blocks this season. She had missed the team’s 93-85 loss to the New York Liberty on June 30 and was expected to return against the Fever, adding another layer to a game already shaped by Clark’s status.
For Indiana, the immediate takeaway is simple: Clark’s return did not happen on Sunday, and the next window she pointed to sits in the back-to-back set on the road trip out West. That leaves fans watching the injury pattern, the practice load and the game-by-game calls that now control when she gets back on the floor.
