The WNBA has issued the Indiana Fever a warning for leaving Caitlin Clark off of the injury report ahead of the Fever’s Wednesday night game against the Portland Fire, which the Fever won 90-73 despite their star guard being sidelined with a back injury.

The Fever did not announce that Clark would be missing from Wednesday’s game until 5:20 p.m. ET, less than two hours before tipoff. She was not on the pre-game injury report, and there had been no prior indication from the team that Clark might not suit up. 

Head coach Stephanie White revealed in her pre-game press conference on Wednesday that Clark sat out of Tuesday’s practice due to back stiffness, which raised questions about why she was not listed on Tuesday’s injury report and whether the team violated WNBA rules.

The league rules state that, “By 5 p.m. local time the day before a game (other than the second day of a back-to-back), teams must designate a participation status and identify a specific injury, illness, other medical condition, or other reason for any player whose participation in the game may be affected for any reason.”

After the Fever’s win over the Fire, White answered questions about the situation, but she did not necessarily provide more clarity.

“Not everyone that doesn’t practice or gets a pro day is on the injury report. That happens all the time.” White said. “She wasn’t on the injury report earlier because we expected her to play.”

Clark has been listed as probable on the Fever’s injury report ahead of Friday’s home game against the Golden State Valkyries.

When asked if the decision was due to “strategic management,” White said no and added that Clark was healthy, but this was just a precaution because of her back soreness. 

“She just woke up with some stiffness and soreness,” the coach said. “For us, it’s not the time to take a chance. We just really want to be cautious.”

While it makes sense to be cautious, transparency is still the expectation. Teams have to notify the league and update their injury report as soon as a change in a player’s status occurs — such as an illness, a new injury or a flare-up.

Wednesday was the first time this season that Clark has missed a game. However, last year she only played 13 games due to a variety of lower-body injuries, and she left the court multiple times during the Fever’s opening game to get her back adjusted in the locker room.

Clark’s late scratch happened on the same day the WNBA announced it adopted a new Game Status (“Injury/Illness”) reporting system (PATA), which generates real-time Game Status reports every 15 minutes. Both the NBA and WNBA use specific designations on injury reports that give a clue about the probability of a player getting on the court.

• Out (OUT): The player will definitely not play.
• Doubtful (DUB): The player is highly unlikely to play (roughly a 25% chance).
• Questionable (QUES): The player’s availability is uncertain (roughly a 50% chance).
• Probable (PRO): The player will likely play (roughly a 75% chance).
• Game-Time Decision (GTD): The final status will be decided right before the game.

If there was a question regarding Clark’s back the day before, it made sense to at least list her as questionable or a game-time decision. Knowing a player’s status is useful for fans who plan their schedule around a game and buy tickets expecting to see certain players. Those participating in sports betting also rely on the injury report to make informed decisions.

In addition, accurate/updated reports are important for media coverage and help opponents know what lineups to expect. Failing to disclose a player’s availability as a form of game strategy or to sell tickets is frowned upon, and there are consequences for those who don’t follow the rules. 

Last month, the Orlando Magic were fined $25,000 by the NBA for violating the rules. The team had listed point guard Anthony Black as “out” on their initial injury report, but he ended up playing in the 123-107 win over the Detroit Pistons. The punishment can also increase for repeated violations. The Philadelphia 76ers were fined $100,000 after star Joel Embiid played against the Atlanta Hawks on Nov. 30 despite initially being listed as “out.” The fine was significantly heavier than the one for the Magic because the 76ers had previously committed similar infractions.

The WNBA has not been as public with fines as the NBA, but the rules do get enforced. As reported by USA Today, the Las Vegas were fined an undisclosed amount for an injury report violation involving star A’ja Wilson on September 2024.