Sports commentator Skip Bayless has suggested that the WNBA and the Indiana Fever may be misleading the public about the severity of rookie phenom Caitlin Clark’s groin injury.
Clark, the top overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, has been sidelined since suffering the injury on July 15 in a victory over the Connecticut Sun. The former Iowa star has since missed 19 consecutive games, and no timetable has been set for her return.
According to Fever coach Stephanie White, Clark is progressing but is not yet prepared to rejoin team practices. “She’s been able to get a little bit more of her full-court running with all of her body weight,” White said. “It’s really building up from doing minimal to building some endurance… She’s been able to do a little more on the court in terms of how she moves, but not into practice shape.”
On his show, Bayless speculated that the injury is significantly worse than has been publicly disclosed. He questioned whether the team and the league were concealing the true nature of her condition to maintain fan interest and viewership.
“Is it possible that this time, she tore her groin so badly that she’s already been privately ruled out for the rest of the season, yet the league wants to keep the media and the fans in the dark about this so that people keep tuning in, figuring, ‘Oh, she’ll be back soon,’” Bayless proposed.
Clark’s prolonged absence is a significant setback for both the Fever and the WNBA, which has experienced a surge in popularity since her arrival.
Source link
