Fever, Caitlin Clark vow to be ‘smarter’ with star’s reps after injury-plagued 2025

Clark, 24, said she hasn’t had a direct conversation with White or the rest of the coaching staff in which she’s been told “this is what you can do or can’t do,” but they have all become more aware of Clark’s workload. This season figures to be one of the longest in WNBA history, with the 2026 FIBA World Cup break from late August to mid-September. Unlike in 2024 when Clark didn’t make the Olympic team, she’s poised to be one of Team USA’s leaders this summer and won’t have the same opportunity to rest up before the WNBA season resumes.

With that in mind, White said it’s paramount for the Fever to find ways to keep Clark fresh. A key factor in that approach will be balancing when to limit Clark’s on-court participation with ensuring she receives enough action to remain sharp.

“It’s Day 1. She doesn’t have to be out there every rep, just being mindful of reps,” White said. “I think every year that she gets older, too, she understands the cadence is a little bit different. It’s not like she has to go out there and go through everything.”

White added that she shares the same philosophy for the Fever’s other stars and veterans, including Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell. Unlike Clark, Boston and Mitchell played in every game last season. Mitchell’s campaign, however, ended scarily when she left Game 5 of the playoff semifinals against the Las Vegas Aces due to rhabdomyolysis — a serious condition in which a person’s muscle tissue breaks down. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, rhabdomyolysis can be caused by muscle overuse, which is what Mitchell cited after she was hospitalized. Boston, meanwhile, suffered a lower right leg injury in February while playing in professional three-on-three league “Unrivaled.” Both players have since made full recoveries.

Despite being sidelined during the World Cup qualifying tournament, Boston joked that “nothing” was different about Clark during their recent stint with Team USA. The star point guard was back to wowing the crowd and her teammates with her long-range 3s and flashy passes because “Caitlin is Caitlin,” Boston said.

Clark added she’s developed a close relationship with Fever athletic trainer Maria Witte, calling her “the most selfless person” throughout her rehab. Witte joined the Fever last year and has remained by Clark’s side throughout her Fever and Team USA obligations. Together, they’ve worked closely to understand what measures Clark must take to put her injury-riddled 2025 season in her rearview mirror while hopefully preventing those injuries in 2026.

“I’m very intentional about the things I’m trying to do,” Clark said. “I think as a young person, you just grab your basketball shoes and you’re like, ‘Oh, let’s just get out on the court and lace ’em up and go play,’ and that wasn’t obviously something that was going to help me through the longevity of my career. … But (now) I know I’m doing every single thing I can to be healthy and that’s why I’ve been healthy and why I’ll remain healthy as well.”

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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