Caitlin Clark Cleared For Fever Opener After Preseason Knee Scare

The whole league exhaled. Caitlin Clark landed hard on her left kneecap in the third quarter of Indiana's preseason loss to the Dallas Wings on Thursday — the kind of fall that makes 19,000 people in Gainbridge gasp at once. Clark stayed down briefly, walked off under her own power, and didn't return. The Fever ran tests overnight. No setback, no swelling, no structural damage. She's good to go for Saturday's opener.

Clark went 2-1 in the 2026 preseason. The capper was a 21-point, four-assist showing in 16 minutes against Dallas before the knee scare cut her night short — 4-of-6 from the field, 2-of-3 from three, 11-of-13 from the line. After missing huge chunks of last season with a quad injury, the front office spent the offseason resetting her workload — fewer minutes, more rest, deeper rotation around her. Through three preseason games she looked like the version that took over the league as a rookie before the body broke down.

The Saturday opener is the game the WNBA has been waiting for: Clark vs. Paige Bueckers, the No. 1 pick from 2024 vs. the No. 1 pick from 2025, on ABC at 1 PM ET. Bueckers and the Wings went 2-0 in preseason behind 11-and-9 efforts from Bueckers. Clark vs. Bueckers, Fever vs. Wings — appointment viewing for the season's first weekend.