Caitlin Clark returns from back soreness, posts historic performance for Indiana Fever

Caitlin Clark was back in the Indiana Fever lineup on Friday, May 22, after missing Indiana’s previous game with back soreness, and she helped lead a 90-82 win over the Golden State Valkyries. Yahoo Sports reported before the game that Clark had been a late scratch earlier in the week and said she “had every intention of playing” before that absence. The Fever’s official recap listed Clark with 22 points in the win, while the WNBA game page showed nine assists in the victory. Friday’s return came after the WNBA issued Indiana an official warning over its prior injury-report handling, according to Yahoo Sports. ESPN separately reported that Clark described returning from injuries as a “mental challenge,” adding context to her first game back after the soreness issue. (sports.yahoo.com) ### What exactly did Clark say about the late scratch? Clark told reporters she expected to play before Indiana ruled her out of the earlier game, according to Yahoo Sports. “I had every intention of playing,” she said, adding that the decision changed late as the team managed the soreness. (sports.yahoo.com) Yahoo Sports reported that Clark’s absence had been listed as back soreness and that the late change prompted the league warning. The report said Clark returned to the lineup two days later against Golden State. (sports.yahoo.com) ### What did she do in her first game back? Indiana’s 90-82 win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse gave the Fever a 4-2 record, according to the team recap and Yahoo Sports’ game listing. The Fever said Aliyah Boston posted her 42nd career double-double, while Kelsey Mitchell added 19 points and Clark finished with 22. (sports.yahoo.com) The WNBA game page credited Clark with nine assists against Golden State. That left the return game as a strong all-around line, but not the 32-point, 10-assist performance referenced in some follow-up coverage. ### Where did the 32-point, 10-assist number come from? Sports Illustrated reported that a scoring correction from Indiana’s May 16 game against Washington changed Clark’s final line to 32 points and 10 assists. (fever.wnba.com) That correction, SI said, made Clark the first player in WNBA history with multiple 30-point, 10-assist games. (wnba.com) SI’s follow-up coverage said the league adjusted Clark’s assist total after review. The outlet also noted that Clark had already built a record for high-scoring, high-assist games early in her career. ### So what is the historic part of this story? The historic marker is tied to the corrected Washington game, not the Golden State win. (si.com) Sports Illustrated said the revised 32-point, 10-assist stat line gave Clark multiple career games with at least 30 points and 10 assists, a threshold no WNBA player had previously reached more than once. Yahoo Sports and the Fever’s own recap, by contrast, place the immediate comeback story on May 22: Clark returned from back soreness, played in Indiana’s win, and resumed her role as the team’s lead playmaker. (si.com) ### What should readers watch next? The Fever’s official site and WNBA game pages are the clearest places to track Clark’s next appearance and any further statistical updates. Indiana entered the Golden State game at 4-2, and Clark’s status after the back issue will remain a focus in the team’s next injury report and game log. (fever.wnba.com) (sports.yahoo.com)