Caitlin Clark Injured, Fever Triumph 85-77 Over Sun/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Caitlin Clark left Tuesday’s Fever-Sun game with an apparent groin injury, overshadowing Indiana’s 85-77 win at Boston’s sold-out TD Garden. Clark scored 14 points but struggled from the field and appeared emotional as she exited. Fans packed the arena to witness Clark’s star power despite her injury scare.
Caitlin Clark Injury Quick Looks
- Caitlin Clark left game with apparent groin injury.
- Fever defeated Connecticut Sun 85-77 at Boston’s TD Garden.
- Clark scored 14 points on 4-of-14 shooting.
- Game drew record crowd of 19,156 fans.
- Celtics and Bruins stars attended alongside Gov. Maura Healey.
- Clark praised Boston’s basketball history despite being a Pacers fan.
- Coach Stephanie White offered no immediate injury update.
- Fever face Liberty next in another NBA arena matchup.
Deep Look
BOSTON (AP) — The Indiana Fever clinched a crucial 85-77 victory over the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday night at Boston’s TD Garden, but the celebration was tempered by the sight of Caitlin Clark leaving the court in visible pain, clutching her right groin in the game’s final moments.
Clark, who’s become one of the WNBA’s biggest attractions, appeared to hold back tears as she walked gingerly toward the Fever bench. After assisting on the team’s final basket, she paused midcourt, holding her leg before leaning against the basket stanchion in frustration and gently banging her head against it. As teammate Aliyah Boston tried to console her, Clark retreated to the bench, where she covered her head with a towel, fighting back emotion.
Fever head coach Stephanie White offered few details in the postgame press conference. “No update. Just felt a little something in her groin,” White said. “We’ll get it evaluated and see what happens from there.”
The scene left fans anxious, as Clark has already missed nine games this season due to two separate left leg injuries. Tuesday’s scare appeared to involve the opposite side, her right groin, raising fresh concerns about her durability as the young star endures the physical toll of professional basketball.
Clark’s Performance in Boston
Though the injury overshadowed the outcome, Clark contributed across the stat sheet, finishing with 14 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. However, she struggled from the floor, hitting just 4 of 14 shots and going 1-for-7 from three-point range. Her lone three-pointer came with three minutes remaining, boosting the Fever to their biggest lead of the game at nine points.
Clark was unavailable for comment after the game, leaving questions swirling about whether she’ll suit up for Wednesday night’s matchup against the New York Liberty at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center — the Fever’s second consecutive game in an NBA venue.
“Certainly we’ll have another evaluation, probably a conversation, and we’ll see where we are,” White said. “But this group has played without her. At least we’ve got experience in that.”
A Boston Showcase for Women’s Basketball
Despite Clark’s struggles and injury scare, the Boston crowd remained electric throughout the night. Fans packed the TD Garden, with 19,156 in attendance — a sellout crowd marking the largest ever for a basketball game in the arena’s history. It was the second straight season the Sun hosted a game there, both drawing sellouts, underlining Boston’s appetite for high-profile women’s hoops.
Before the game, fans crowded courtside in Fever and Clark gear, many waving homemade signs or jerseys in hopes of snagging an autograph or selfie.
“It’s a great opportunity for people in the city, or fans around the area, to come and support a team here,” Clark said pregame. “You don’t take these opportunities for granted. It’s always fun to go to a new arena in a new place and enjoy it.”
Star-Studded Audience and Boston Ties
Among those in the crowd were prominent figures from Boston’s sports scene, including Celtics stars Jaylen Brown and Georges Niang, Bruins players Jeremy Swayman and Mason Lohrei, Red Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito, and Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey.
Aliyah Boston, who grew up in Massachusetts and earned three Massachusetts Player of the Year honors at Worcester Academy before winning an NCAA title at South Carolina, believes Boston could one day support its own WNBA team.
“When you look at the atmosphere for the Celtics, when you look at the atmosphere for the two TD Garden games that now we’ve had, it’s been sold out. It’s been energy,” Boston said. “They obviously have been great, and I think that’s going to be the same all the time.”
Currently, the Connecticut Sun remain New England’s sole WNBA team. Despite Boston’s deep basketball roots, the region still lacks a franchise, leaving fans hungry for more local WNBA action.
Clark’s Appreciation for Boston’s Basketball Heritage
Clark, who grew up in Iowa, acknowledged Boston’s storied basketball history, even as she reaffirmed her loyalty to Indiana’s NBA team.
“The Celtics are one of the premier organizations of the NBA,” she said. “And having won a championship two years ago now, it’s kind of cool to just be in this building and surround yourself with the greatness that has played in this arena.”
Clark pointed out the Celtics’ record-setting three-point shooting during their 2024 championship run as an inspiration.
“I’m a Pacers fan. I just want to make that clear. But as I’ve been growing up, they’ve been a fun team to root for,” she said. “They shoot a lot of 3s, which maybe people make an argument against. But for myself, I think that’s fun. I enjoy that. I think it’s a great style of basketball.”
Despite her enthusiasm for Boston’s basketball culture, Clark admitted she’d never visited the city before this week and regretted not being able to see the Red Sox at Fenway Park due to the MLB All-Star break.
“It seems like an amazing city,” Clark said. “I would love to come back here and explore a little bit more in the history of it and all the amazing things that you can do.”
The Fever, meanwhile, will anxiously await further news on their star’s condition as they continue a grueling schedule against the WNBA’s top teams — hoping Clark’s latest injury proves only minor and doesn’t derail her remarkable impact on the league.
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