Fever star Caitlin Clark avoids serious injury after scary fall leads to early exit in preseason game

Indiana Fever prima defender Caitlin Clark exited Thursday night’s preseason crippled against nan Dallas Wings aft colliding pinch 1 of their players.  

Clark was seen hobbling connected nan tribunal aft taking a step-back three-point changeable and landing connected Wings prima defender Alanna Smith’s ft successful nan 3rd 4th of nan matchup. Upon landing, Clark told reporters aft nan 95-80 nonaccomplishment that she deed her knee difficult erstwhile she went down aft nan foul by Smith.  

Clark rolled complete connected nan tribunal and tried to locomotion it disconnected arsenic she went toward nan Fever bench. Officials ended up reviewing nan play and gave Smith, nan reigning co-Defensive Player of nan Year successful nan WNBA, a Flagrant 1 foul for not giving Clark a safe magnitude of room to onshore aft shooting.

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Indiana Fever defender Caitlin Clark shoots nan shot successful nan 2nd half against nan Dallas Wings astatine Gainbridge Fieldhouse successful Indianapolis connected April 30, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)

Clark exited nan crippled pinch less than 8 minutes near successful nan 3rd quarter.

She vanished pinch a team-high 21 points contempt missing astir of nan 2nd half. Clark deed 2 of her 3 attempted three-pointers, while knocking down 11 of 13 from nan free propulsion line. She besides had 2 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 bargain successful nan contest.

Being this was a preseason matchup, Fever fans were holding their corporate activity watching Clark successful nan moment, particularly considering nan tumultuous play she had successful 2025.

CAITLIN CLARK RETURNS TO WNBA COMPETITION AFTER 2025 INJURY IN FEVER PRESEASON GAME

Clark played conscionable 13 games successful her sophomore campaign, acold from what she had hoped aft winning WNBA Rookie of nan Year and mounting nan single-season assists grounds successful 2024.

Caitlin Clark of nan Indiana Fever brings nan shot up nan tribunal against Odyssey Sims of nan Dallas Wings during a preseason crippled astatine Gainbridge Fieldhouse successful Indianapolis, Ind., connected April 30, 2026. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

But it appeared Clark avoided a superior wounded that could’ve travel successful that situation. Being successful someone’s landing area aft a changeable tin lead to terrible injuries, particularly ankles turning.

Fever caput coach Stephanie White didn’t look to want to push Clark, and sat her nan remainder of nan way.

The Fever still person 1 much preseason crippled remaining connected nan schedule, arsenic they look nan Nigerian nationalist squad connected Saturday. Then, it’s regular-season basketball, pinch nan Fever’s first crippled that counts connected nan grounds against these aforesaid Wings successful Dallas connected May 9.

Indiana Fever defender Caitlin Clark questions a hold of crippled telephone against nan Dallas Wings during a preseason crippled astatine Gainbridge Fieldhouse successful Indianapolis, Ind., connected April 30. (Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire)

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The Wings are an intriguing squad to watch, pinch Azzi Fudd, nan No. 1 wide prime successful this year’s WNBA Draft, reuniting pinch chap UConn teammate Paige Bueckers to statesman her pro journey. Bueckers led nan Wings pinch 20 points connected Thursday night, while Fudd vanished pinch 4 points.

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