The Indiana Fever upset the Atlanta Dream in the first round of the WNBA playoffs -- and now they have the same goal against WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals.
Playing without Caitlin Clark, Sydney Colson, Sophie Cunningham and more, the Fever shocked the Aces in Game 1 at Michelob ULTRA Arena on the strength of Kelsey Mitchell's 34-point masterpiece. A week later, the Fever took Game 4 to tie the series at 2-2 and put them one game away from the WNBA Finals.
Given the Fever's momentum, fans might wonder whether Clark, the Fever's superstar guard and main attraction, could return at some point in the playoffs to aid Indiana's bid for a championship, the second in franchise history.
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Can Caitlin Clark come back in the playoffs?
Clark has endured an injury-riddled sophomore season in the WNBA.
The two-time All-Star last played on July 15, when she suffered a right groin injury late in a win over the Connecticut Sun. Clark missed the 3-Point Contest and the All-Star Game in Indianapolis before sitting the Fever's final 22 regular season games and all four playoff games to date.
But unfortunately for expectant fans, Clark already has been ruled out for the season.
Clark confirmed the news on Sept. 4, having missed nearly two months of action. The 23-year-old will not play again this season, and Indiana is fully focused on getting her healthy and ready for the 2026 season.
Even if Clark were healthy enough to play in the WNBA Finals, she wouldn't actually be able to play because she was not included on Indiana's playoff roster due to her season-ending injury.
"Once the postseason begins, teams cannot add hardship players or make changes to the roster. That means the Fever’s playoff roster is set," wrote Fever insider Scott Agness.
That said, Clark continues to accompany her teammates on their postseason travels.
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