Caitlin Clark ruled out vs Portland with back

Caitlin Clark was downgraded to out on Indiana’s status report hours before tipoff Wednesday, May 20, against the Portland Fire, intensifying concern about a back issue she says has gotten out of line quickly. Indiana brought back center Aliyah Boston for the

For Indiana Fever fans, the back-to-back injury update arrived fast—and late enough to sting.

Center Aliyah Boston returned to the starting lineup for the team’s matchup against the Portland Fire on Wednesday, May 20. But another marquee name was suddenly missing: guard Caitlin Clark was ruled out of Indiana’s game due to her back after being downgraded to out hours before tipoff.

Clark’s back concern has been building since the start of the season. In Indiana’s 107-104 season-opening loss to the Dallas Wings on May 9. she temporarily left the court mid-game with a wrap around her back. After returning from the locker room. Clark said she left to get her “back adjusted” because it “gets out of line pretty quickly.”.

Indiana’s timing around the injury report also stood out. Clark was not initially listed on the Fever’s Tuesday injury report, yet she appeared on the status report and was downgraded to out ahead of Wednesday’s tipoff. Boston, by contrast, was not listed and was “good to go.”

Clark’s production has been strong despite the growing concern. She was limited to 13 games last season due to various injuries, but through four games this year she has averaged 24.3 points in 30.8 minutes.

The Fever coach, Stephanie White, tied the problem to mechanics rather than a single, clear-cut injury. On May 9. White said it was more about “adjusting to corrected form than an outright injury. ” adding. “It’s part of maintaining the body…. when we’re all really young. we don’t learn proper mechanics. and it doesn’t get exposed until something happens.” She said the issue would keep showing up. not just for Clark: “This is going to be an ongoing thing. And not just her. We have multiple players who have gone back − we don’t have the blue tent. but they’re going to go back and get adjusted and make sure that the body’s working.”.

The pattern in Clark’s season history is hard to ignore. Since the season began, the back discomfort has followed her out of Game 1 territory and into real missed time uncertainty—at the same time her statistical output has kept drawing attention.

Here’s what Indiana has known so far about Clark’s injury status for Wednesday:

She is not playing today. Clark was ruled out of the Fever’s matchup against the Portland Fire due to her back.

It is not clear when Clark injured her back. She has been dealing with back discomfort since the opening game of the season, and White described it as more tied to maintaining corrected form than a straightforward injury.

Clark’s track record also shows how quickly changes can happen. In 2025:

On May 2, 2025, Clark popped up on the injury report with a left leg injury. She described it as “just a little tightness” on May 3, went through warmups with the team before the Fever’s medical staff pulled her from the preseason opener.

On May 24, 2025, she suffered a left quad injury during the Fever’s 90-88 loss to the New York Liberty. She recorded a double-double with 18 points and 10 assists, but couldn’t pinpoint the specific play that caused the injury. She said it happened early in the contest. adding. “Adrenaline covers up a lot of stuff when you’re in the heat of battle. After the game. I had some pain. and then we got an MRI. and that kind of gave me the result that I didn’t want to see.” She missed the Fever’s next five games.

On June 24, 2025, Clark suffered a left groin injury in the Fever’s 94-86 win over the Seattle Storm and missed the team’s next four games. White said she learned of the groin injury the following night after Clark alerted team trainers of discomfort.

On July 15, 2025, Clark suffered a right groin injury in the final minute of the Fever’s 85-77 victory over the Sun at TD Garden in Boston. White later confirmed Clark “felt a little something in her groin.” That was the last game Clark suited up for in 2025.

And on Aug. 7, 2025, Clark reportedly suffered a mild bone bruise in her left ankle during an individual workout session in Phoenix, according to The Indianapolis Star, part of the USA TODAY Network.

While Indiana deals with the latest update to Clark’s status. the league’s stars have also been reflecting on what comes next. A’ja Wilson—an Aces star approaching her 30th birthday this year—spoke about the impact she’s had on the league as she gets nearer to that milestone and as the WNBA continues to evolve.

Caitlin Clark Indiana Fever Portland Fire WNBA injury report back injury Aliyah Boston Stephanie White A'ja Wilson