Caitlin Clark ruled out vs Portland

Caitlin Clark was scratched less than two hours before the Indiana Fever's game against the Portland Fire on Wednesday, when the team ruled her out with back soreness. Indiana then beat Portland 90-73 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, with Aliyah Boston scoring 24 points and Kelsey Mitchell adding 21, according to the WNBA game recap and the Associated Press. The absence was Clark's first missed game of the 2026 season, according to AP and ESPN. Indiana's official recap described Clark as a late scratch with a back injury, while ESPN reported the team issued a postgame update after the win. ### How late was the decision on Clark? The Fever ruled Clark out less than two hours before tipoff on Wednesday night, according to AP's game report carried on the WNBA site. (wnba.com) USA Today and CBS Sports were cited in other coverage as saying the announcement came only a couple of hours before the game. Indiana's own recap used similar timing, calling Clark a late scratch. (wnba.com) The team site did not list a long-term timetable in the recap page available Thursday. ### What did Indiana say about the injury? Indiana said Clark was out because of back soreness, according to ESPN's report referenced in the source briefing. (wnba.com) The Fever's official game recap referred to a back injury when describing her absence from the Portland game. The wording matters because the public update available through team and wire reports on Thursday remained limited to the immediate cause of the scratch, not a broader diagnosis or recovery schedule. (fever.wnba.com) That is based on the absence of any timetable in the Fever recap and news listings available Thursday. ### What happened without Clark on the floor? Aliyah Boston finished with 24 points and eight rebounds, and Kelsey Mitchell scored 21 as Indiana pulled away for a 17-point win. The Fever improved to 3-2 on the season, according to the team schedule page, while Portland fell to 2-3. The WNBA recap said Boston had returned to the lineup after missing Sunday's game with a lower leg injury. (fever.wnba.com) Indiana played without Clark but still controlled the game at home against the expansion Fire, whose visit marked Portland's first trip to Gainbridge Fieldhouse this season. ### Was this unusual for Clark? (wnba.com) AP reported Wednesday's scratch was Clark's first missed game of the 2026 season. ESPN's player log also shows Clark appeared in Indiana's opener against Dallas on May 9 before not logging minutes in the Portland game on May 20. Clark's recent injury history has made availability a recurring subject around Indiana. (fever.wnba.com) The Fever announced in September 2025 that she would miss the rest of that season with a right groin injury after being sidelined earlier in the year as well. ### What comes next for Indiana? (wnba.com) The Fever are scheduled to host the Golden State Valkyries on Friday, May 22, according to the team schedule page and a game preview posted Thursday. Clark's status for that game was not specified in the material available Thursday morning. Friday's game is the next public checkpoint for any updated availability report from Indiana, with the Fever then set to play Golden State again on May 28 and Portland on May 30. (fever.wnba.com 1) (fever.wnba.com 2)