WNBA: Fever guard Caitlin Clark out vs. Fire

Indiana Fever star guard Caitlin Clark is sitting out of Wednesday night's home game against the Portland Fire with a back injury.

Clark was not on the team injury report the day before the game. Fever coach Stephanie White said Clark was a bit stiff and sore when she woke up Wednesday morning after skipping Tuesday's practice in favor of getting treatment.

White added she doesn't believe this is something which would be an extended or ongoing issue for Clark, who did leave the Fever's season opener on May 9 a few times to get her back adjusted.

"It's not the time to take a chance," White said. "We just really want to be cautious, you know.

" ... She's healthy. We're not managing anything. This is just a back issue that we want to make sure we give the time to be ready."

Clark, 24, is averaging a team-high 24.3 points along with 9.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds in four games this season. The 2024 No. 1 overall pick and two-time All-Star was limited to just 13 games last season, missing time due to quad, groin and ankle injuries.

-Field Level Media/Reuters