All the excitement for the 2026 quickly cooled off as everyone at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse Arena was shocked by the scenes on the court. Alanna Smith was guarding Caitlin Clark, and the Fever guard took off for the three-pointer, while everyone was waiting for the basket to go in, but heard a CC’s scream in pain instead.
The star was on the floor, and the defender received a flagrant one foul. And what happened next took everyone’s breath away, watching the player in distress. While Stephanie White was talking about taking a cautious approach with Clark in the training camp, one such incident is a reminder of taking great care of the Fever playmaker.
Caitlin Clark Came Off The Court Limping
With a pre-season game and a 15-point advantage in the third quarter, the Wings were in complete control against the Fever team at Gainbridge Fieldhouse Arena. Clark, who played in just the first half against the Liberty team in the first preseason game, had to play for the second half too against the Wings.
As the player took off for the three-pointer, she landed on Alanna Smith’s foot and hit the ground hard. Smith was trying to deny the shooter any space and received a flagrant foul for her ‘too close’ defending. Clark was limping on the floor as the coach called a timeout to check on the star. CC didn’t play further in the game.
Caitlin Clark comes up limping after a reckless close out which was ruled a flagrant 1 pic.twitter.com/tqcktOk9Aa
— Clark Report (@CClarkReport) May 1, 2026
She finished with a team-high 21 points despite missing most of the second half. The former Iowa star connected on two of three range shots and netted 11 of 13 from the free throw line. She also had two rebounds, four assists, and one steal in the contest.
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Even though the loss was hurting, everyone was worried for the 24-year-old star’s health, and the update came from the player herself.
Caitlin Clark Health Update Following Injury In Pre-Season Game
Even though the player was in pain at first, she returned to the court, scoring two out of three free throws, and called the game. The physios checked her on the bench instead of taking her to the locker room. After the game, Clark told the media that she feels okay and just landed hard on her kneecap, avoiding a much more serious injury.
Caitlin Clark says postgame that she just landed really hard on her kneecap, and says "I feel good."
— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) May 1, 2026
Emphasizes how well she thinks the refs did tonight, too.
Coach White already highlighted her expectations for Clark, as the player had a tough 2025 season, and will look to stick to her plan. The Fever still has one more preseason game remaining on the schedule, as they face the Nigerian national team on Saturday.