India, May 22 -- Caitlin Clark was a surprise omission from the Indiana Fever's clash against the Portland Fire on Wednesday after being ruled out late with a back issue, despite no prior injury update before the game. The decision came as a precaution, with the Fever opting to rest their star guard rather than risk aggravating the problem. "She's healthy. We're not managing anything," White told reporters before the Portland game, per Alexa Philippou of ESPN. "This is just a back issue that we want to make sure we give the time to be ready."

Clark is now expected to make a quick return, with her status upgraded to "Probable" ahead of the next game against the Golden State Valkyries. The designation suggests strong optimism within the Fe...