The Indiana Fever suffered a bitter defeat to the Washington Mystics on Wednesday night in their first game of the WNBA season without Caitlin Clark, who's still nursing a quad injury. The Fever sorely lacked their star playmaker and came short of a late comeback in the 83-77 road loss,

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark suffered a left quadriceps strain and will be sidelined for at least two weeks and the team’s next four games, the Fever announced Monday. Her extended absence will mark the first time she’s missed a game in her college or pro career, ending a streak of 183 consecutive games played.

The Indiana Fever came into the 2025 WNBA season with high expectations. Caitlin Clark was expected to be an MVP candidate, and the Fever were one of the buzz teams who were viewed as a possible championship contender. After their 2-2 starts, the hype had calmed down a bit. Now, the hype has died down dramatically.