Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White ruled Caitlin Clark out of Thursday's road game against the Phoenix Mercury, even though the star guard said she felt physically strong after returning from a back injury. The decision matters because Clark is the face of the franchise and the driving force behind Indiana's offence, so how the team manages her recovery is closely scrutinised. Her exclusion, despite her own positive assessment, has prompted questions about the club's cautious approach.

Clark had returned on Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Sparks, playing 16 carefully managed minutes and later telling trainers she was encouraged by how her body responded, adding that she "didn't even feel very winded." However, the Fever had already planned to split the back-to-back fixtures between Clark and All-Star forward Aliyah Boston, resting one each night, with the official injury report listing Clark's reason as "rest." White's strategy of using Clark in roughly three-minute spurts during the Sparks game, which Indiana lost, drew criticism, with Clark herself acknowledging it was "really hard" to play in such short bursts.