Caitlin Clark says she's working through a 'mental hurdle' about trusting teammates

Caitlin Clark said Thursday that the hardest part of her return to full-time WNBA action is not only physical. The Indiana Fever guard said she is still working through what she called a “mental hurdle” after an injury-hit 2025 season, even after helping Indiana beat the Los Angeles Sparks 87-78 on Wednesday night. Clark scored 24 points and added nine assists in that game, Indiana’s first win of the 2026 season. The Fever return home Friday night to face the Washington Mystics in Indianapolis. ### What did Clark say about the “mental hurdle”? Caitlin Clark said the challenge is trusting her body again after missing much of last season with multiple injuries. Newsweek, citing Clark’s comments, reported that she said it would “take me a little bit to really get over the mental hurdle of trusting my body.” (wnba.com) ESPN reported last week that Clark’s 2025 season was interrupted by a left quad injury in training camp, then a different left quad sprain, a left groin sprain, a right groin injury and, later, a left ankle bone bruise during an attempted return for the postseason. Clark played only 13 games last season, according to Yahoo Sports’ report on her return. (newsweek.com) ### How did she look in the Fever’s win over Los Angeles? Wednesday’s box score showed Clark at 24 points and nine assists, with Kelsey Mitchell adding 23 points in Indiana’s 87-78 win over the Sparks. Clark hit her first 3-pointer of the night with 4:51 left in the fourth quarter, extending the Fever lead to 78-63, according to the WNBA game recap. (africa.espn.com) The first two games have also shown uneven shooting from long range. A WNBA preview for Friday’s game said Clark opened the season 3-for-16 from 3-point range through two games, while quoting her as saying her shot “feels great” even if the results have not followed yet. ### Why has her health been under such close watch? Clark’s health has been a running question since the season opener on May 9. (wnba.com) Yahoo Sports reported that Clark briefly left that game against Dallas, then returned with a wrap around her back after playing nearly 31 minutes in a 107-104 loss. (wnba.com) Indiana has also publicly discussed workload management early in the season. The Fever video page listed a May 11 media session in which coach Stephanie White gave updates on player minute restrictions ahead of the team’s one-game road trip to Los Angeles. ### What else stood out from the Sparks game? Clark also drew a technical foul during Wednesday’s game, adding another moment to a night in which she was heavily involved throughout Indiana’s offense. (sports.yahoo.com) The verified game recap from WNBA.com confirmed the final score and Clark’s 24-point, nine-assist line, though it did not frame the technical as central to the result. (fever.wnba.com) Stephanie White made clear afterward that Indiana still has work to do despite getting into the win column. “I want more,” White said in comments carried in the WNBA game preview for Friday’s matchup. “Coaches always want more. That’s the nature of the beast.” ### What comes next for Indiana and Clark? Friday’s next step is a home game against Washington at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. (wnba.com) The Fever’s official preview listed Clark as a probable starter and set the game for 7:30 p.m. ET, with ION carrying the broadcast and 93.1 WIBC on radio. Washington enters the game at 1-1, the same record as Indiana. (wnba.com) The WNBA preview said Mystics coach Sydney Johnson has been managing guard Georgia Amoore’s minutes as she comes back from an ACL injury, while Indiana will again be watched for signs of how Clark is handling the early-season load. (fever.wnba.com)