As always, Sheryl Swoopes, one of the top critics of Caitlin Clark, hasn’t backed down even when the Indiana Fever superstar is out due to a right groin injury. Though this time, she’s got no negative opinion about her, but rather a positive one. “I think they have the pieces even if Caitlin doesn’t come back,” she said during her latest appearance on the Women’s Hoops Show. But can you blame her? The Fever really justified her take back in July when the team went on a five-game winning streak against strong opponents like the Aces, Storm, and Mercury, all while securing the Commissioner’s Cup. But does that mean CC’s not needed?

Well, a big no if you consider the ongoing scenario with the Fever’s locker room that has broken the “most resilient team” ever Mitchell has been part of. That’s because in just a couple of days, three players—Aari McDonald, Sophie Cunningham, and Sydney Colson—ended up with season-ending injuries. While Aari went down with an ankle injury, Syd had an ACL tear on August 7, the trade deadline for this season. And just like that, the Fever’s two point guards were gone. But Mitchell, keeping up with the “Next woman stands up” mentality, led the team. Still, things weren’t going to get better, and in a game against the Connecticut Sun, Sophie Cunningham also ended up on the season-ending injury list after suffering an MCL tear. So you know how “tough” it has been for the squad, but still, they aren’t losing hope for their playoff chances. How?

Well, Mitchell herself puts it better as she shared, “I think you have to stay resilient. It’s one thing which we all said all this season, but I really think people don’t take heed to what I say when I say that you have to have a good culture. You have to have good people in your locker room. You have to have, you know, decent humans for this thing to keep rolling, and I think it’s important,“ she said during an August 20 interview with Scott Agness, while stressing that Caitlin Clark is one of the best examples of this.

“I think internally we build relationships with one another to make them, you know, make it not feel so horrible, and then like the energy internally from Caitlin is still there, like it hasn’t really wavered, and I think that even though they’re not on the floor, we still feel everyone’s presence.” No doubt, every word Mitchell shared holds weight, as ever since the beginning of the 2025 season, it hasn’t really been smooth either for Caitlin Clark or Indy.

When CC made her debut for her sophomore season, the bar for expectations was set quite high as she was coming off recording over 19 rookie records in her first year. But even the first game she was supposed to play was a miss due to quad soreness. Since it was a preseason game, there was still hope, but soon she was sidelined with a left quad strain.

Being an offensive engine for the team, it was a tough call to have someone replace CC for the time being. But as White was preparing to give CC some rest ever since she joined the Fever as HC, she had a backup plan—and that was to play Sydney as point guard in the lineup, with Sophie as backup point guard. But before the strategy could translate into wins, the Fever lost both Syd and Sophie in a single game versus the Sun.

So once again, CC’s arrival was highly anticipated, but before that, the team needed a replacement. This time, they added Aari McDonald, who was eager to play, to the roster on a hardship contract—and she was really a fit as she helped the Fever get on a five-game winning streak and accomplish the Commissioner’s Cup title after defeating defending champions NY Liberty in the finals. Then CC made a comeback, Aari was signed to a permanent contract, DeWanna Bonner was waived, and then CC was injured, yet again. She made a comeback again, and just two days before she was set to play in the historic All-Star Game, she re-aggravated her right groin injury, and ever since July 15, she’s been out.

But, as Mitchell shared, the energy from Caitlin is still there. Despite injury and drawbacks, CC only looked ahead. Remember her cold shooting slump? She’s 7 of 49 from three-point range in her last seven games. And not just that—she even failed to make a single three-pointer in three separate games. Even from downtown, she’s 2 of 35 on the road. But still, she gave 16.5 points per game on average with five rebounds and 8.8 assists.

And can you deny the impact she offers in the locker room? While she’s been out for most of the season, she’s been seen actively cheering on her teammates from the bench, offering words of encouragement, and focusing on being a positive presence both on and off the court. Remember her celebrating the Commissioner’s Cup title win for her mates? All that champagne pouring, cheers, and going live—all that celebrating came when CC was out. But it’s not just about celebrating the team’s success because CC’s even known for showing emotions when sidelined.

We’ve seen her happy when her mate hits a basket and throwing herself at the refs when one of her teammates gets a foul. Even in the Fever’s August 13 game versus the Wings, it was Caitlin who stopped HC Stephanie White from getting a tech as she held her tight with both arms when the agitated coach was about to argue with officials during the game. So yes, that’s the kind of presence CC’s got for her team. But still, even her positive presence can’t help the team as the injured roster isn’t going to stop bugging the Fever’s playoff run!

Will Caitlin Clark return in time?

Yes, Indy’s third in the Eastern Conference, and stands with a 19-16 record after winning against the Connecticut Sun in their last game, wherein Sophie went out due to her MCL injury. But the injured list has only increased, and now the team’s left with no option but to anticipate CC’s arrival, as HC Stephanie White puts it best. “It takes a lot out of you, especially the way that (the injuries) happened… It takes a lot out of you emotionally, mentally. But it’s sports. It’s part of the business. It’s part of what we do,” she said on August 18.

Well, it all makes sense, as now the Fever’s got Odyssey Sims and Shey Peddy on seven-day hardship contracts. But the two can only sign with the Fever three times and are only available for the nine remaining games, as they couldn’t play postseason. So, you know it’s just CC who can be the team’s “next woman standing up.” But it seems she’s not coming back anytime soon, as according to ESPN’s recent reports, CC is recovering from a right groin injury and a bone bruise on her left ankle that she sustained during a workout earlier this month.

“There was no timeline or projected return to play, so it’s impossible to say if it was impacted. So it remains the same, to give Caitlin Clark as much time needed to ensure she comes back fully healthy, which every day she is working hard to do,” coach Stephanie White shared in a recent interview with ESPN. But still, if you listen to the HC, there’s “hope” for CC to return before the end of the regular season. “Until she can get into practice and until you guys see her in practice, it’s really status quo,” she added in a recent interview with ESPN.

Well, as of now, CC’s been limited to rehab and individual work with an emphasis on full-court running, but of course, she’s not back into practice as she’s already ended up with a bone bruise in a workout earlier. So, what do you think? Will she be able to make a comeback before the postseason to play for the Fever?