Caitlin Clark's Quad Injury Being Handled with 'Long-Game Approach' by Fever, HC Says

The Indiana Fever will miss Caitlin Clark over the next few weeks as the star recovers from a quad injury, but the team isn't going to rush her back to the court.

Per ESPN's Alexa Philippou, head coach Stephanie White said Clark's absence is a "long-game approach" as they look to avoid any lingering issues.

"Sometimes great players don't tell you when they're hurting," White said. "I'm glad that she did because we need to nip this in the bud."

Clark suffered the left quad injury in Sunday's loss to the New York Liberty and will be sidelined for at least two weeks.

While it will be tough without Clark on the court, White believes it will give the team a chance to grow early on in the season. She also thinks her team will manage without Clark.

"I think it's the advantage of the depth that we added in the offseason," White told reporters. "We're equipped. Certainly, we'd rather have it early than late. It's a great opportunity for our team to find an identity. It's a great opportunity for our team to play in a different way."

White also sees Clark's time off as a chance for her to take on a coaching role from the sidelines.

"And I also think it's a great opportunity for Caitlin to watch the game from the sideline and to grow in almost like a coaching kind of mindset and see some different things that we might be talking about on film, addressing in practice, to see it develop in live action," White said.

Clark has had a strong start to the season, putting up 19 points, 9.3 assists and six rebounds per game through four contests. The Fever have split their first four games to start the year.

With Clark set to miss some time, Indiana will lean on Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell even more. Boston is averaging 18.5 points and 10.8 rebounds per game while Mitchell has posted 17.8 points per contest.

The Fever will also look to get big minutes from bench players like Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham.

Indiana is coming off a solid year in which it went 20-20 and reached the playoffs for the first time since 2016. While it was a year of growth, the Fever are hoping to take another step forward this year and compete for a title.

If Clark is able to return to the court soon and stay healthy, that goal will be much more attainable.