INDIANAPOLIS — For the primary time since struggling a quad damage that has had her out for a week-and-a-half, Caitlin Clark spoke to the media after follow on Thursday.
Clark stated she was “making a whole lot of progress” and might be re-evaluated over the weekend, matching the two-week timeframe initially given by the Fever.
“I’ll be reevaluated this weekend,” Clark stated, “so I’ll miss this weekend’s sport, however after that it’s day-to-day and see how I really feel and simply sort of flip to the medical employees and what they suppose. I really feel like I’ve made a whole lot of progress. I really feel good. I’m not going to hurry coming again. It’s simply not price it, however after this weekend, I’ll be reevaluated and we’ll have a greater thought.”
The damage, Clark revealed, occurred early throughout Indiana’s sport towards the Fever. Whereas Clark couldn’t pinpoint the precise second or play it occurred, she stated it occurred early on.
“Clearly, adrenaline covers up a whole lot of stuff if you’re within the warmth of battle and after the sport I had some ache after which I received an MRI and that gave me the consequence that I didn’t need to see,” Clark stated. “However you recognize these sort of issues don’t lie.”
The Fever do have a sport on Tuesday, which might come after Clark has been re-evaluated. When requested if she could possibly be out there for that sport, nonetheless, she was non-committal.
“We’re attempting to not put like an actual date on the market as a result of it’s sort of a day-by-day factor and see how I really feel,” Clark stated. “This kind of damage, you don’t know. Once I get up, I’ll really feel totally different than the day earlier than. We’ll see. It could possibly be a risk, however I may additionally not be out there for that sport, too.”
It’s the primary time Clark has missed video games in not simply her temporary skilled profession, but additionally even earlier than her school profession, too. It’s a brand new problem for the second-year guard, who has remained a relentless determine on the sidelines all through, cheering her teammates on…and nonetheless arguing with the refs.
“I feel it’s been totally different,” Clark stated. “I feel simply having good perspective is the easiest way to strategy it. Like, yeah, you could be pissed off and what not, however I feel the medical crew has carried out a extremely good job of doing my rehab each single day, staying in a routine, coming in getting photographs up.
“However greater than something I feel simply specializing in being a extremely good teammate, being there for my teammates, being a voice for them as a result of that’s what I’m after I’m taking part in, so you bought to nonetheless be that constant voice after I’m sitting on the bench.”
Alongside these traces, Clark has sat alongside the teaching employees throughout video games, which has additionally allowed her a “distinctive perspect,” as she known as it on Thursday, in addition to the possibility to proceed studying even whereas sideliend.
“Once you’re on the market taking part in and truly within the warmth of the second, you don’t notice every thing, you don’t at all times see every thing,” Clark stated. “You see issues from a distinct perspective that perhaps the teaching employees didn’t see. So it’s definitely totally different. I’m attempting to sort of be that connector between the coaches after which my teammates on the identical time, whether or not that’s within the locker room at halftime, whether or not that’s throughout time outs.
“It’s taught me lots. I’ve by no means been in that place earlier than, truly getting to observe from the bench for an prolonged time frame.”
With out her, Clark and the Fever have struggled, going 1-2 whereas coping with accidents to Sydney Colson and Sophie Cunningham throughout that span, too. It’s been a attempting time for your entire crew, which got here into this season with championship expectations which have needed to be placed on pause in the interim.
Clark joked that she will not be a affected person individual, in order that, too, has challenged her throughout her absence. On the identical time, she can be approaching that from a studying perspective, too.
“I’ve by no means been a affected person individual in my complete life, so that is undoubtedly testing me slightly bit, however I feel it’s going to be actually good for me,” Clark stated. “Like I stated, I’ve simply tried to strategy it in the easiest way I presumably can. I can’t change it. However yeah, I feel my endurance has undoubtedly grown lots and like I stated, simply attempting to develop and study and I feel I’ve definitely carried out that.”
That endurance must be in place for a minimum of slightly bit longer as she’ll miss a minimum of yet another sport towards the Sky over the weekend.
If issues go nicely for Clark and the Fever throughout her re-evaluation, a return could possibly be simply across the nook for the celebrity guard.
