Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark announced that she will not be returning to play this season, even if her team makes the playoffs. Clark's statement drew mixed reactions — some were upset at how the Fever made their fans believe that Clark would be returning and others said the WNBA waited at the last minute to announce so that gate attendance and TV ratings would not suffer.
Meanwhile, former two-time WNBA MVP Candace Parker looks at Clark's decision through a different lens.
"I have been a player that has had a number of injuries, and I think later in my career, especially some of those injuries would have been less or preventable had I listened to my body earlier and taken the time," said Parker.
Although Parker had a relatively healthy WNBA career, she played through a fractured foot after signing with the Las Vegas Aces in 2023. Unfortunately, the then-36-year-old had to cut her season short because the injury worsened and she needed surgery. She retired in 2024 despite signing a one-year deal with the Aces.
Meanwhile, there was a lot of pressure on Clark to return. First, the WNBA had a breakthrough year in 2024, mainly because of her, and the league needed her to play as many games as possible to keep that momentum going. Also, Clark had not missed a single game since high school, and she was determined to return late in the season.
But ultimately, Parker feels she made the right choice.
"I know it's difficult to look at the big picture, especially if you're living with tunnel vision and you've worked so hard to get to where you're at. But it's the smart thing. And I'm proud of this generation for taking the time they need to look at the bigger picture, and making sure that they get healthy," Parker added.
Parker's approval of Clark's decision comes a couple of weeks after another WNBA legend, Lisa Leslie, advised the Fever superstar that it would not be a good idea to return this season because the groin injury that she suffered is tricky and could easily get aggravated.
"Do you want to see Caitlin Clark for the longevity of her career? I'm just thinking, me personally, I would not put Caitlin Clark back on the floor this season and the only reason why I say that is because I had the injury that she has. That deep groin injury is nothing to play around with. It can feel like you never had it, you make one move, one cut, and boom, she's back in the same spot," said Leslie. "I don't know if it's worth risking it. If they get the eighth spot and you're getting in the playoffs, is it really worth it, looking at Minnesota in the first round? I don't know. That's just my opinion."
The Fever are in the 2025 WNBA Playoffs as the sixth seed. They will face the No.3 Atlanta Dream , which will have the homecourt advantage in their best-of-three first-round series.
Can the Fever at least win one round without Clark? It's hard to tell. But can they win it all without her? No. That's why playing the long game was a smart decision.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 12, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
