Breaking down the Fever injury situation: Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham among several players sidelined

The Indiana Fever's injury-plagued season hit a new low Thursday when the team announced that superstar guard Caitlin Clark will not return this season. Clark, who was limited to just 13 games this season due to an array of lower body injuries, is the fifth Fever player to be ruled out for the season. 

"Caitlin has worked so hard throughout this time, doing everything possible to recover and return to the court but, ultimately, time is not on our side," Fever general manager Amber Cox said in a press release. "While we will continue working with Caitlin and provide her with every resource we have available, there is not enough time left in our season for her to safely return, and her long-term health and well-being remains our top priority. We are looking forward to having her back at full strength to start the 2026 season." 

Not even the Fever's coaches can stay healthy. Prior to the team's loss to the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday, Stephanie White confirmed that player development coach Keith Porter had ruptured his right Achilles tendon. 

"His spirits are good," White said. "Keith is just one of those guys that's always happy, and he's a very faithful guy. It's an adjustment right now, because he's not on the floor, but eventually once he gets through surgery he'll be back on. But you're still gonna hear his voice, it's just like if one of us got hurt. you're still gonna hear his voice, he's still gonna be there, he's still gonna be giving the tips. As soon as he can he's gonna be back on the floor making passes. He might not be D-ing somebody up or out on the court playing with physicality, but his voice is still a presence."

Porter, known for his work with three-time All-Star Aliyah Boston, will join the ranks of the walking wounded in Indianapolis. The Fever, who began the season with championship expectations, have been decimated by injuries. Clark, Chloe Bibby, Sydney Colson, Sophie Cunningham and Aari McDonald have all been ruled out for the season. As a result of their injury issues, 17 different players have suited up for the Fever this season. 

After Tuesday's defeat, the Fever sit in eighth place at 21-20, just 1½ games ahead of the ninth-place Los Angeles Sparks, who own the tiebreaker between the clubs. With less than a week remaining until the Fever play their final regular season game on Sept. 9, here's a rundown of their unfathomable injury situation.  

Chloe Bibby: Left knee, out for season

The Fever's current roster looks nothing like it did to begin the season. One of the new faces is Chloe Bibby, who initially joined the team on a seven-day contract in late July and signed a rest-of-season contract on Aug. 1. 

Bibby, who went undrafted in 2022, had bounced around overseas before catching on with the Golden State Valkyries earlier in the season. She was released after just five appearances with the expansion squad, but did enough to catch the Fever's eye. 

While Bibby got off to an impressive start with the Fever and hit multiple 3-pointers in her first three appearances, she went ice cold for a few weeks and fell out of the rotation. Recently, she started to deal with left knee soreness and has not played since Aug. 17. The Fever announced on Thursday that Bibby will not return due to her left knee issue. She is the fourth player to go down with a season-ending injury. 

Caitlin Clark: Right groin, out for the season

Clark's injury problems started during preseason when she was scratched from a warm-up game against the Washington Mystics due to left quad tightness. She appeared in the Fever's final two preseason games and was ready for opening day -- a 35-point win over the Chicago Sky in which she recorded a triple-double -- but only managed four appearances before suffering a left quad strain. 

Clark sat out for three weeks before returning on June 14 with a stunning 32-point, eight-rebound, nine-assist outing against the reigning champion New York Liberty. Her second stint would last just five games, however, before she tweaked her left groin. 

After another two-plus weeks on the mend, Clark returned to action on July 9 in a defeat to the Golden State Valkryies, but did not look like herself. She struggled through four games before injuring her right groin late in a win over the Connecticut Sun on July 15 and has not played since. 

Caitlin Clark's injury-plagued sophomore season was a disaster for the WNBA, the Fever and herself

Jack Maloney

The Fever announced on Thursday that Clark will not return this season. 

"I had hoped to share a better update, but I will not be returning to play this season," Clark wrote on social media. "I spent hours in the gym every day with the singular goal of getting back out there, disappointed isn't a big enough word to describe how I am feeling. 

"I want to thank everyone who had my back through all the uncertainty. This has been incredibly frustrating, but even in the bad, there is good. The way the fans continued to show up for me, and for the Fever, brought me so much joy and important perspective. I am so proud of how this team has only gotten stronger through adversity this year. Now it's time to close out the season and claim our spot in the playoffs." 

Sydney Colson: Torn left ACL, out for season

Colson, who made her WNBA debut back in 2011, signed with the Fever in free agency last offseason. She was expected to be a veteran presence in the locker room who could provide some backcourt depth, but ended up playing more than anyone expected due to the Fever's injury problems. 

During a defeat to the Phoenix Mercury on Aug. 7, Colson went do chase down an offensive rebound near the Fever's bench and landed awkwardly. She immediately collapsed to the ground and was later diagnosed with a torn ACL in her left knee that will keep her out for the remainder of the season. 

In 30 games this season, Colson averaged 2.4 points and two assists in 13.5 minutes per night. 

Sophie Cunningham: Torn right MCL, out for season

The Fever were wheeling and dealing this offseason, and one of their biggest moves was trading the No. 8 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft (Saniya Rivers) to the Connecticut Sun and NaLyssa Smith to the Dallas Wings in exchange for Cunningham from the Mercury as part of what eventually became a 10-team mega trade. 

Cunningham, who spent the first six seasons of her career with the Mercury, tweaked her ankle during the preseason, which delayed her debut with the team until May 22. Another ankle injury a week later put her on the shelf for two weeks. As a result of those injuries, and the move to a new city to play for a new organization, Cunningham struggled at first in Indianapolis. 

Shortly before the All-Star break, though, Cunningham was inserted into the starting lineup and found her stride. In 13 games as a starter, she averaged 11.2 points and shot 51.6% from the field, including 46.9% from 3-point range. Her momentum came to a halt against the Sun on Aug. 17 when Bria Hartley fell into her leg and she had to be helped off the floor. An MRI later revealed a torn MCL in her right leg that ended her season. 

Aari McDonald: Broken right foot, out for season

Early in the season, the Fever were so shorthanded that they qualified for an emergency hardship exception. They used it to sign former lottery pick Aari McDonald, who was a surprise cut by the Los Angeles Sparks during training camp. McDonald made an immediate impact for the Fever, but rules of the emergency hardship exception dictated that she had to be released once the Fever were healthy. 

As it turned out, McDonald wasn't gone for long. When DeWanna Bonner -- the Fever's marquee free agent signing -- quit on the team in late June it opened up the cap space to sign McDonald for the remainder of the season. McDonald immediately became one of the team's best defenders and her pace, ability to get downhill and playmaking allowed the team to play largely the same way it did without Clark. The Fever were 12-8 with McDonald in the lineup. 

Unfortunately for McDonald and the Fever, her season came to an end during the same Aug. 7 defeat to the Mercury in which Colson was injured. In the fourth quarter of that contest, McDonald suffered a broken bone in her right foot. Over her 20 games with the Fever, McDonald averaged 9.8 points, 4.7 assists and 1.3 steals.