Caitlin Clark leg sleeve is not cause for Indiana Fever concern

Despite Caitlin Clark donning a left leg sleeve in practice on Monday, Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White reassured fans that it's of no concern.

"It's a style thing," White said with a laugh. "It looks good on her, doesn't it?"

Just a few days after Clark hit her kneecap on the floor after a hard foul during Indiana's preseason game against the Dallas Wings on April 30, the Hawkeyes legend came out to practice with a full protective sleeve on her left leg, which caused some concern across social media about a potential underlying injury to the two-time WNBA All-Star.

As Clark mentioned before the Fever's May 2 preseason finale against the Nigerian national team, she did not have any overnight swelling or limitations as a result of the fall. Therefore, unless there is an unknown injury to her left leg, her decision to wear the practice sleeve may just be a preference or stylistic choice.

Similar to shooting sleeves worn on players' arms, leg sleeves serve almost identical purposes, including keeping their legs warm, providing stability after an injury, providing compression, or simply because they look stylish. With that in mind, wearing a leg sleeve does not automatically signal an injury, so Fever fans can relax about any worries of a potential setback to Clark.

Clark and the Fever open up the 2026 WNBA regular season against the Dallas Wings on Saturday, May 9 from Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The game tips off at noon CT and will be broadcast nationally on ABC.