For every day since July 15th, 2025, Caitlin Clark worked towards one goal: make a comeback for the season. She spent hours in the gym, nursing, rehabbing, “hungry” to get back on the court. But as fate would have it, it will be 8 more months before the Fever sensation suits up for her team again. Would that throw her off her game? Or just get her energized with enough rest? Here’s how Clark’s injury could dictate her offseason.

Caitlin Clark’s Season Ending Injury and Its Impact on Her WNBA Play

As the final seconds ticked during the July 15 game between the Indiana Fever and the Connecticut Sun, Stephanie White & Co. were on the brink of securing their 3rd-consecutive win. However, there were no celebrations. Before the winning basket, Caitlin Clark moved to the bench, holding her groin and tears in her eyes. Before long, the Fever sensation was declared out of the highly anticipated All-Star game and 3-point contest being held at her home court. 

“I have to rest my body,” she had reasoned her absence. The advice for her had remained the same. But despite all the hopes and the ‘day-to-days’, Lisa Leslie had made it known very early on that a groin injury wasn’t going to heal quite easily.

“That deep groin injury is nothing to play around with. It can feel like you never had it. You make one move, one cut, and boom, she’s back in the same spot,” the WNBA legend had said, advising her against making a comeback too soon. For the soft tissue injury to heal, Clark is going to need good enough rest with little travelling. And 8 months seems to do the trick. So while 3 consecutive injuries did throw the guard into a shooting slump, the off-season with adequate routine and training can help her get back in shape.

Fever COO and GM Amber Cox is affirmative that the team is going to have Clark “at full strength to start the 2026 season.” But to ensure she falls into a rhythm in a competitive setting, Unrivaled has been thrown around as a possible option.

How Unrivaled Could Keep Caitlin Clark’s Game Sharp In the Offseason

Before Caitlin Clark officially announced she was out for the 2025 season, updates revealed she had gotten back to practice. However, it was largely individual training. What Stephanie White needed from her before she suited up was work through contact in practices.

“I Want to see her continue to work to not just build endurance, but to be able to handle contact 94 feet as it’s going to be in-game, and to be able to do that and sustain it from an endurance standpoint,” the head coach had expressed. “And as most of us know, when we get fatigued, we look different, and see how she plays through fatigue.”

So before Clark jumps into action for her third year, she is going to have to face some physicality and court pressure. And Unrivaled has elite talent, the fast pace, and with only 3 players on the roster, it forces one to be involved both offensively and defensively. For Caitlin Clark, building on her off-ball movements, this could be a good opportunity.

Moreover, the 3×3 league reported that 91% of its players posted career-highs in at least one statistical category in the WNBA after participating in the league. So, just the warmup the young guard might need.

Why Caitlin Clark Is Likely to Skip Unrivaled This Offseason

Caitlin Clark has previously refrained from joining Aliyah Boston and Lexie Hull, among others, in the Unrivaled. The priority had been rest and recovery after a difficult transition from college to the pro league. With the sensitive nature of the injury, the 23-year-old might opt for it again to practice at her own pace.

Moreover, Unrivaled saw plenty of injuries in its inaugural season. Though we cannot share a definitive number, fact remains that games had to be delayed and players like Breanna Stewart, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, and Kahleah Copper, among others, carried over their  injuries from off-season to the WNBA. With Fever development coach, Keith Porter, having previously curated planned plays and routines for the Fever sensation, she might prioritize safety.

“I want to give her the extra tools to where how teams used to play her, you can’t do that anymore. You can’t force her to take these shots… “I just want her to feel super comfortable in every scenario, every coverage,” he had shared earlier this season, and that has sounded good enough.

The Bigger Picture: What This Means for Clark, Unrivaled, and Fans

For Caitlin Clark, skipping Unrivaled would give her ample recovery time to ensure she puts herself in the best position for an injury-free 2026 WNBA season. 

For Unrived, having Caitlin Clark would have boosted their viewership to new heights. Co-founder Napheesa Collier & her husband/league President, Alex Bazzell, have often admitted have often expressed interest in having the 2024 rookie phenom to help the league garner more visibility. They even extended a one million offer. But Clark is yet to give a nod. Without her, the league generated 589 million in social media impressions, tallied 11.9 million in viewership, and signed 20+ partners. With her, those numbers could see a further spike. Especially considering the games in WNBA saw a dip in her absence. 

For fans, Clark’s decision would either mean an extended absence and a good look at how the players are prioritizing health over competing at the highest level or they could be up for a Clark-sighting in a whole new setup. The guard has previously expressed that she hasn’t ruled out the possibility of participating in Unrivaled, but weather she shows up this season still remains a question.