Caitlin Clark leaves Fever's loss with a back injury, doesn't return after 3rd-quarter scare

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Caitlin Clark left the Indiana Fever's 111-109 loss to Phoenix with a back injury in the third quarter Wednesday night.

The All-Star guard has been dealing with a back issue this season and left with 5:15 remaining in the third quarter. She went back to the locker room and didn't return.

Clark appeared to tweak her back in the second quarter when she was fouled shooting a 3-pointer in the second quarter. She fell to the ground and was rubbing her back as she stood up. In the first quarter she went back to the tunnel and returned to the bench wearing a wrap around her back.

She finished the game with 19 points and eight assists in 20 minutes.

The two teams met Monday night and there were six technical fouls called and one ejection. Clark picked up her fifth technical in that game. The team is petitioning the league to have it rescinded. The physical play continued on Wednesday. On one play in the second quarter, Clark fell to the court as she drove and as players went for the loose ball, Phoenix's Alyssa Thomas appeared on video to put her fist into Clark's neck.

No foul was called on the play, but the league could review it for a flagrant foul.

“It was egregious. The fact that it was a no-call … You got to call it," said Fever coach Stephanie White. "You’re coming in here aware of what happened two nights ago and that (expletive) still happens? Absolutely unacceptable.”

Clark has been listed on the injury report for most of the season with a back injury after she missed one game because of it. The Fever hadn't given her any injury designation for the game she didn't play and were warned by the league for not doing that.

Clark is currently second in All-Star fan voting that was released Wednesday behind teammate Aliyah Boston.

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