Caitlin Clark Out for Fever's WNBA Commissioner's Cup Final vs. Lynx with Groin Injury

The Indiana Fever announced star guard Caitlin Clark will miss Tuesday's WNBA Commissioner's Cup final against the Minnesota Lynx with a left groin injury.

This will be the third straight game the reigning Rookie of the Year has missed. A quad issue had sidelined her for five games before her newest issue.

The Fever will be playing the first-place Lynx for the first time this season, and it goes without saying they'll sorely miss their best player. According to WNBA.com, Indiana has had a plus-7.4 net rating with Clark on the floor and a plus-3.0 net rating when she's on the bench.

Although she's failing to match the pace she set last year, the 2024 All-Star is averaging 18.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 8.9 assists while shooting 39 percent from the floor.

Players and coaches in the WNBA have had more time to pinpoint Clark's weaknesses, and the injuries haven't helped either. That helps to account for her sophomore slump, if you can even call it that.

The Commissioner's Cup is ultimately only one game. The winning team gets a larger chunk of the $500,000 prize pool, but the result won't change the current arc of Indiana's season.

Clark's health is far more important to the Fever. They need to feel as confident as they can that she's back to 100 percent when she's cleared to play and has as little risk as possible of getting injured again.

Her absence will make the Commissioner's Cup final a slightly lesser spectacle, but Indiana had to be extra cautious with her eventual return.