Caitlin Clark Injured, Latest on Fever Star's Status After Exiting vs. Mercury

The Indiana Fever are hoping for the best after their star exited Wednesday night's game.

The team announced that Caitlin Clark would not return to their matchup against the Phoenix Mercury because of a back injury.

Clark has been dealing with a back injury for the majority of the season, missing time in May because of the ailment. She previously said that the injury has been a mental battle as well as a physical one.

"My back feels good," Clark said in May. "I think there's moments where maybe I get in my head a little bit. That's understandable, I need to have a little grace with myself. I need people to give me a little bit of grace too. When you go through so many things, it becomes a little bit traumatizing too. I hope it's not something that hinders me. I think I'm doing everything I can to put myself in the best position I can."

Luckily, she's been able to stay in the lineup this month, as Wednesday was the first time she was forced to exit because of her back.

Clark, now in her third season, is putting up 21.3 points and 8.2 assists per game this year. She's already played more than she did last year, when she was limited to just 13 games because of various ailments.

The Fever are currently in playoff position, sitting in sixth place at 10-7, but they're not too far ahead of the ninth-placed Los Angeles Sparks, so they can't afford to be without Clark for an extended period.