Caitlin Clark was listed as probable ahead of Thursday’s rematch with the Golden State Valkyries after she attended the San Francisco Giants game at Oracle Park on Wednesday with her boyfriend, Connor McCaffery.
The timing matters because Clark has been a walking availability story since her WNBA debut: she was a late scratch for Indiana’s May 20 matchup against the Portland Fire — the first game she missed this season — and the Fever still beat Portland 90-73 without her. Two days later, on May 22, Clark returned to the starting lineup and scored a team-high 22 points as Indiana won its third consecutive victory over Golden State; that performance was the core of a narrative that she can lift the team when she’s on the floor.
Clark’s health history sharpens the stakes. She appeared in 40 games and won Rookie of the Year in 2024, but injuries cost her much of 2025: she was limited to 13 appearances because of a groin strain and an ankle-bone bruise. The Fever have also described an early-season back issue, and Clark warmed up on the court before the May 17 game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, a visible sign the team has been juggling how and when to use her minutes.
Roughly 24 hours after she was seen at Oracle Park — where she and McCaffery were photographed wearing Giants hats — the Fever listed her as probable for the rematch with Golden State. Clark has been public about liking baseball — “My boyfriend grew up a really big Phillies fan, so I kinda had to like the Phillies. I do like them, I love Bryce Harper. I still like the Cubs, I like the Yankees. I’m not like a diehard any baseball team. My dad was a big Royals fan,” she said, adding, “Kansas City was like a professional sports team to us. I liked the Chiefs before the Chiefs were really good too, so I’m not a bandwagoner either. I like the Phillies, so I’ll cheer for them this postseason.” — comments that made the outing at Oracle Park feel more like a personal night out than a public statement about readiness.
The Fever’s options hinge on a single, repeated fact: Indiana can win without Clark, as it did 90-73 on May 20, but the team’s best offense has been with her on the floor — the May 22 game produced a 22-point night that helped secure a third straight victory. Those two truths pull in opposite directions for coach and front office when minutes and matchups are discussed. The internal calculus is visible: protect a young star’s body while trying to capitalize on a hot start to the season.
There is a friction point beyond the simple availability log. Clark’s appearance at a Major League game between the Fever’s meetings with Golden State will be read differently depending on outcome: if she starts and plays heavy minutes Thursday, critics will say the trip was irrelevant; if she sits, the sight of her in Giants gear will be seized as evidence the Fever chose a short layover over an abundance of caution. Either way, the sequence — scratch on May 20, 22 points on May 22, photographed at Oracle Park, listed probable ahead of the rematch — underscores how closely her every move is observed.
Internal stories already trace those turns: the return against Golden State drew game coverage and a highlight reel — see Caitlin Clark Fever Valkyries Scuffle: Clark’s 22-Point Night Carries Indiana — while other pieces have probed the public debate around her profile. The Fever’s immediate question is practical: who can deliver consistent production if Clark’s back or other issues force another absence; the answer will shape rotations and strategy for the stretch run.
If Clark plays Thursday, Indiana gets its clearest shot at extending a winning trend that reached three straight after her May 22 night. If she doesn’t, the Fever have shown they can win — as the 90-73 victory without her proved — but they will lose their most reliable creator. The more consequential question is now plain: will Clark’s body hold up long enough to be the player Indiana needs most nights this season, or will availability remain the defining limit on how far this team can go?
