How Clark’s Extended Absence affects VNBA Plej-of VNBA

The Indiana fever said Thursday he kept Caitlin Clark Going out to the rest of the VNBA 2025 season, you miss the final three games of the regular season and any potential game of postseason. The announcement ended for weeks of speculation about when Clark, who did not play from 15. July due to the real injury to the groin, would return – Frustrating Chapter for Clark and Gross, which is currently Seeds no.

Clark did not miss the game during his four seasons in Iowa or her first season in VNBA, when she won Novak year and led the league in assists and 3-pointers. But she struggled to stay healthy during 2025. years, which appears in only 13 games of Indiana so far.

Three different injuries made her missing the Trustee Finals 1. July, she won fever through Minnesota; The match in all stars, for which the Captain for the competition in his house Arena, Gainspridge Fieldhouse; And the last seven weeks of the season.

What does that mean for fever and VNBA that Clark will not be in the playoffs? And what is next for a 23-year-old, who is one of the biggest stars in professional sports?

How are the news on Thursday influence the rest of the fever season and did hope to hope?

The fever went through so many injuries and the new players added and took this season that they proved to just roll over with blows. And it will not surprise these news – they are around Clark all the time and they know how her recovery went. Despite all difficulties, four players in Groza appeared in all 41 games: Guards Kelsei Mitchell and Lekie Hulland posts Aliyah Boston and Natasha Howard.

It is still a very good and experienced quartet of a player who will download in postseason if the fever can lock the bearing. Mitchell and Boston are also an average career career in points, and Hull has an average average career in points (7.2), jumps (4.4) and helps (1.8). Howard is a triple champion of VNBA with Seattle (twice) and Minnesota.

In August, after injury to seasonal ending of the guards Aari McDonald and Sydney Colsonfever added veteran protection Odyssey Sims. They also added Aeronautical force later in the month after Sophie Cunningham He was lost for the season. The combined Sims and powers took place in 55 VNBA post-existing games. Powers won a VNBA title with Washington.

It is obvious that this team does not seem to be as expected in May, but its resilience has never left. Clark is officially turned off, but fever played more than twice as many games without Clark this season as they have with her. – Furel

How did Indiana play without Clark?

The good news for fever are still two healthy all stars in Boston and Mitchell, of which he was lasting as an Indian basic expensive expense in Clark’s absence. Mitchell is 21.2 PPG and 3.9 APG in 28 matches without Clark, compared to 19.2 PPG and 2.2 APG within the Duo-Star.

However, recent injuries to the guards outside Clark tested the depth of Indian. The fever won five consecutive matches from 24. July to August 3, but immediately after the winning stripe was cracked in Los Angeles, McDonald and Colson lost in Phoenix loss. Including that game, which did not end the player, Indiana disappeared 4-7 in its last 11 games. Then Cunningham, on average 11.2 PPG at 13. place, also lost for the season.

Intriguing, Indiana still has a better net rating (minus-2.5 points per 100 hours) in that range than Los Angeles (minus-3.5), According to VNBA Advanced Statistics. The sparks are 1.5 games to return fever for the eighth and final place of playoffs, which is why the playoffs are made of playoffs in 93% simulations using the ESPN basketball energy index (BPI). But Indiana net rating is the last time among the eight teams that are currently in the playoffs, which does not bodily for the first roundhouse. – Pelton

Why did the fever have made a decision now?

The fever may have been ready to pull the plug on the Clark season before Thursday. But Clark is a fierce competitor, and the management of fever probably wanted to give her every opportunity to return if she could. All the time, it seemed as if the fever tried to balance the encouraging Clark with an attempt to remain pragmatic.

But from the end of the regular season next week, the hour realistically ran out of her returned. There was no reason to happen to hope for fans fever, many of whom have probably expected this announcement or that Clark continued to push towards the impossible goal. – Fukel

What does Clark close for the season mean for your immediate future?

She completed the second season on average 16.5 points, 8.8 assists, 5.0 jumps and 1.6 steals in 13 games. Even in her free time, she was never excluded from fever. It was a vocal and energy presence on the bench and we can expect to remain the same for all the remaining games of Indiana. But now there is no pressure to physically push yourself, which is for the best. It can focus on healthy, installing routine training to transfer to offseson and supporting the team, as long as the 2025 season lasts.

As for what it means for VNBA, Clark is clear the greatest extraction of the league: its presence on the field is characterized by even people who are not large fans of great sports. Will definitely be missed in postseason. But if he keeps the tables, Indiana will still host my first playoff game since 2016. years, and via the league remain anticipation and forecasting for playoffs and several intriguing stories. – Furel

What should we expect from Clark next May in his third season VNBA?

For this season that complain is memory. We are still at least eight months since the start of the regular season 2026, more than enough time that Clark’s groin completely healed.

Maybe it’s hardest in parallel with Clark’s lost 2025. years the second NBA season in Michael Jordan. After beating the newbie of the year, like Clark last year, Jordan was limited to 18 games and seven begins in 1985-86 on a navlarious fracture. (One key difference: Jordan returned to the playoffs, rejecting 63 points at the possible champion Celtic in the first round of loss.) The next season is Jordan in the high 37.1 ppg career and finished the second in the MVP voting.

There is also a precedent VNBA. Triple MVP A’ja Wilson They left the average of 20.7 ppg as a novice to 16.5 in 2. years, partly due to the sanctuary of the ankle, which cost them several weeks. Next year, 2020. Wilson won the first of these MVP trophies. Sue bird managed to play all 34 games during their second season despite the knee injury required by the surgery of microfracture of the following out-season. 3. The year of the bird has helped lead Seattle Storm to the first of the four championships.

This does not mean that Clark will conquer the name of scoring, MVP or championship 2026. years, but its potential should not be limited by what happened this year.

One interesting question is whether it lacks so much time could change Clark offsaezone plans. She decided against any organized competition after her Rookie campaign, but they went so long without competing games, it might not be ideal about this time around. This could participate in a short 3-3-3 game or crossing the appeal abroad. – Pelton