Caitlin Clark Opens Up About Painful Groin Injury and Her Ongoing Mental and Physical Rehab Journey
Caitlin Clark Opens Up About Painful Groin Injury and Her Ongoing Mental and Physical Rehab Journey
Caitlin Clark’s 2025 WNBA season has been anything but smooth. The Indiana Fever star, once considered a frontrunner for MVP, has seen her season derailed by a frustrating groin injury. Now, in a candid interview with Glamour, Clark has revealed the full scope of her difficult rehab process—physically, mentally, and emotionally.
The 23-year-old guard has already missed 12 games this season, including the Commissioner’s Cup and the WNBA All-Star weekend. Despite being one of the All-Star team captains, Clark was sidelined and unable to participate due to her groin issue, which she originally sustained weeks earlier and re-aggravated recently.
Clark described the ups and downs of her recovery process. Some parts of it are playful and familiar: she re-watches classic Disney movies like The Parent Trap to relax and keep her spirits up. But the bulk of her journey has been far more intense and serious.
She’s been undergoing multiple forms of advanced treatment, including red-light therapy, dry needling, and sessions in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. These methods are aimed at reducing inflammation and speeding up her healing. But Clark emphasized that recovery goes beyond just the body—it’s also a mental challenge.
“This is the first time I haven’t felt like a young body that can run around and sprint every day,” Clark said. “Being a professional athlete, you really have to take care of both your body and your mind—it’s been a journey learning about that.”
To that end, Clark regularly meets with a sports psychologist from the Fever’s staff and engages in a long-standing journaling habit that she says keeps her mentally centered. She journals before games as a way to clarify her mindset and reduce stress.
“It makes me really intentional about what I want to accomplish,” she said. “It’s a good reset if I’m feeling nervous or anxious about the game, to kind of wipe that away.”
Clark also acknowledged the struggles she’s faced on the court—particularly a dip in her three-point shooting accuracy—during what has become a rollercoaster of a season. Once considered a top MVP contender, Clark is now focused on healing and helping her team make a playoff push in the second half of the year.
With the Fever sitting at 12-12, their postseason hopes may hinge on whether Clark can return to full strength—and whether she can find her rhythm again as both a scorer and a leader.
While the injuries have clearly taken a toll, Clark’s openness about her challenges offers fans a rare look at the human side of stardom: a fierce competitor learning, growing, and fighting to stay on top—mentally and physically.
And as she continues to balance rehab with the relentless expectations placed on her, Caitlin Clark proves that strength in sports isn’t just about scoring points—it’s about resilience.
