Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark missed the high-intensity WNBA preseason game vs the Washington Mystics on Saturday, putting her team is a massive disadvantage. With about five minutes left in the first half, the Mystics led the hosts 33-21 at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Why did Caitlin Clark miss the game vs the Washington Mystics

Ahead of Saturday's game, Fever announced that Clark was out due to a left leg injury. The 23-year-old was initially listed as questionable on the injury report.

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Clark described the issue as ‘just a little tightness’, and reports indicated she participated in practice earlier that week, suggesting the decision to sit her out was likely precautionary, especially given the game was in the preseason and the team had a scheduled back-to-back, including a high-profile game the next day against the Brazilian National Team in Iowa.

It seems like Indiana's management may have prioritized her long-term health over playing her in an exhibition match.

There’s no definitive evidence of any other underlying reason beyond the reported injury and precautionary rest.

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Just before the game, Clark addressed the confusion, saying, “Just a little tightness. I’ll go through all our warmups and everything — and then they’ll decide if I’m good to go or not.”

Fever Head Coach Stephanie White said, “We got to look at the long term. We gotta make sure that we're not putting Caitlin [Clark] at risk for injury. We are thinking short term, not long term. It's a long season.”

Will Caitlyn Clark be available vs the Atlanta Dream next week?

Clark has been listed as questionable for the away game against the Atlanta Dream next week, on May 10. However, it is likely that the 23-year-old will make her first pre-season appearance this season against Atlanta.

Caitlyn Clark led the WNBA last season in assists per game (8.4) and scored 19.2 points per contest.

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