Caitlin Clark’s injury return goes poorly in Fever loss to Sparks

All eyes were on Caitlin Clark on Wednesday night as she made her anticipated return from injury in a road matchup in Los Angeles.

But instead of a triumphant comeback, the Fever spent the entire night chasing the Sparks as Clark’s rough return fueled a 106-92 rout.

The superstar never found a groove, looking completely out of sync in her return from a back injury.

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Caitlin Clark huddles with teammates as the Indiana Fever battle the Sparks. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) ((Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images))

Much of that disjointed performance falls squarely on head coach Stephanie White, who kept Clark on a ridiculously tight leash by limiting her to just 16 minutes. The stop-and-go approach could have sabotaged any chance for the phenom to establish a rhythm.

Clark finished with just 9 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Her minus-16 plus-minus told the story.

The Los Angeles Sparks were severely shorthanded, taking the floor without stars Kelsey Plum and Cameron Brink.

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Yet while a depleted Sparks roster played to win, Indiana spent the night over-managing its biggest asset.

With Clark on a minutes restriction and Aliyah Boston out of the lineup, Kelsey Mitchell was forced to shoulder the entire offensive burden.

Mitchell did her part, pouring in 29 points while shooting 5-of-9 from beyond the arc.

Caitlin Clark orchestrates the Fever offense as Indiana battles the Los Angeles Sparks in primetime action. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) ((Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images))

But one hot hand couldn’t stop an efficient LA squad.

The Sparks shot 45% from three-point range, going 9-of-20 from deep to cruise to the 106-92 victory.

White’s next move is to sit Clark against the Mercury on Thursday while Boston returns.

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After Wednesday’s loss to a shorthanded Sparks team, it’s fair to question whether Indiana’s cautious approach is working. The Fever dropped to 12-9.

Caitlin Clark and Dearica Hamby face off as Fever and Sparks battle at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. (Photo by Tyler Ross/NBAE via Getty Images) ((Photo by Tyler Ross/NBAE via Getty Images))

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