Caitlin Clark returns from back soreness; Fever win 90-82

Caitlin Clark returned to the Indiana Fever lineup on Friday, May 22, after missing one game with back soreness, and Indiana beat the Golden State Valkyries 90-82 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Clark finished with 22 points and nine assists in her first game back, while Aliyah Boston added 20 points and 16 rebounds and Kelsey Mitchell scored 19. The win lifted Indiana to 4-2 and extended the Fever’s winning streak to three games. Clark’s return came two days after she sat out Indiana’s game against Portland because of back soreness. Before Friday’s game, Clark said returning from injuries had become “a real mental challenge” after a 2025 season in which injuries limited her to 13 games, according to ESPN’s report carried by TSN. She also said the decision to miss Wednesday’s game was tied in part to confidence in how her body felt. (wnba.com) ### How did Clark look in her first game back? Clark scored 22 points, made four 3-pointers and handed out nine assists in 32 minutes, according to the WNBA game summary. Indiana trailed 44-37 at halftime before outscoring Golden State 29-17 in the third quarter, with Clark and Boston leading the pushback. The Fever were far sharper offensively after halftime. (tsn.ca) Indiana went 6-for-9 from 3-point range and 19-for-26 from the foul line in the second half after shooting 4-for-17 from deep before the break, the WNBA summary said. ### Who else drove Indiana’s win? Boston recorded her 42nd career double-double with 20 points and 16 rebounds, matching a career high on the glass, the Fever said in their postgame recap. (wnba.com) Mitchell added 19 points and went 11-for-11 from the foul line, while Sophie Cunningham scored 11 points off the bench. Golden State got 19 points from Tiffany Hayes and 18 from Kaitlyn Chen off the bench. (wnba.com) Veronica Burton scored 17 points and Kayla Thornton added 10 for the Valkyries, who fell to 3-2. ### What happened with the Flagrant 1 and the injury scare? Clark was assessed a Flagrant 1 during the game, according to USA Today’s live coverage. The same game also saw Fever forward Myisha Hines-Allen leave with 3:09 remaining in the first quarter after what USA Today described as an apparent lower-leg injury. (fever.wnba.com) (wnba.com) USA Today reported that Hines-Allen limped off the court and was surrounded by team personnel before heading to the locker room. Public postgame recaps from the WNBA and Fever focused on the game result and did not include an immediate update on her status. ### Why had Clark been talking about the mental side of returning? (usatoday.com) Clark said before Friday’s game that getting back on the floor is not only about being cleared physically. ESPN’s report said she described the process as a “mental challenge” because players need to trust their bodies again after injuries interrupt rhythm and availability. (usatoday.com) The context was her 2025 season. Clark was limited to 13 games last year because of injuries, including a season-ending groin issue, according to ESPN reporting from 2025. ### What comes next for Indiana and Golden State? Indiana’s next game is a road rematch against Golden State in San Francisco on Thursday, the WNBA game summary said. (tsn.ca) Golden State returns home first and is scheduled to host the Connecticut Sun on Monday. (wnba.com) (espn.com)