Caitlin Clark has been ruled out for Thursday’s matchup vs. the Sparks with a left groin issue. The star guard is averaging 18.2 points, 8.9 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game with a 31.2% usage rate this season. Thursday is the first leg of a back-to-back set for the Fever, so there is a chance that Clark is also out Friday, when the club visits the Wings.
Clark missed five games earlier this season with a quad injury and, with her sidelined, Indiana went 2-3. With Clark out, Kelsey Mitchell ($8,500) should be the Fever’s main option, as she is leading the Fever with a 28.8% usage rate with Clark inactive this season, which is a 3.9 percentage point increase from Mitchell’s season average. Lexie Hull ($7,300) and Sydney Colson ($4,100) should also see extra playing time with Clark unavailable.
The Fever are facing a 4-11 Sparks team Thursday and, even with Clark out, Indiana is a five-point favorite for this contest on DraftKings Sportsbook.