Caitlin Clark declares herself fully fit for Indiana Fever return
Caitlin Clark has declared herself fully fit for the 2026 WNBA season after overcoming a series of demoralising injuries to win MVP honours with Team USA.
The former Iowa standout made her first meaningful competitive appearance in eight months during a FIBA World Cup qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico.
Coming off the bench in the opening fixture, the 2024 Rookie of the Year immediately showcased her trademark passing and long-range shooting ability.
She recorded 17 points and 12 assists in her first game back before ultimately securing the tournament’s most valuable player award.
Overcoming a demoralising year
The prolific scorer endured a deeply frustrating 2025 campaign that was severely derailed by multiple soft tissue setbacks.
After initially suffering a left quad sprain early in the season, the guard subsequently sustained groin injuries and a bone bruise on her left ankle.
These persistent physical issues forced her to miss the WNBA All-Star Game in her home city of Indianapolis and ruled her out for the remainder of the season.
Prior to these professional setbacks, the elite playmaker had famously never missed a single fixture during an astonishing 139-game collegiate career.
‘An incredibly isolating thing’
“I put together a pretty incredible stretch of never missing a game,” Clark said.
“The fact is when you’re a professional athlete, it’s going to come at some point.”
“It’s honestly taught me more than I probably ever learned over the course of my career.”
“Being hurt is an incredibly isolating thing, and you don’t really understand it until you go through it.”
Indiana Fever executives relieved
Indiana Fever general manager Amber Cox travelled to San Juan specifically to monitor her franchise player’s highly anticipated return to the hardwood.
The executive observed the point guard average 11.6 points and 6.4 assists over five international appearances.
“I had so much excitement and anticipation to see her back on the floor, and to see her deliver at such a high level and casually walk away with the MVP,” Cox told US media.
“That’s when we all felt great about the fact that she was fully back.”