Claims for Refund After Caitlin Clark Injury Upset WNBA Legend Sue Bird

Caitlin Clark's injury has led to a marginal drop in both attendance as well as viewership numbers as fans stay away from the WNBA.

Claims for Refund After Caitlin Clark Injury Upset WNBA Legend Sue Bird

Sue Bird disappointed at fans wanting refunds after Caitlin Clark's injury (Image via FirstSportz)

Caitlin Clark getting injured early in her 2nd season was not what the Indiana Fever had hoped for when assembling a stellar roster this past offseason. The team now stands eighth in the standings with an abysmal 2-4 record.

Two of those losses came after the superstar guard was sidelined after suffering a quad injury. Even though the initial time for recovery has been slated to be two weeks, it could take longer, and the Fever has no intentions to rush her back.

As her experienced teammate, DeWanna Bonner clarified, it is better to face injuries earlier in the season than when they are nearing the playoffs, as that messes with team chemistry. They are already struggling, and thus, do not mind struggling now rather than struggling later.

But those struggles do have an effect on the morale of fans. They are disappointed that they cannot watch Caitlin Clark play. On top of that, these continuous losses might not motivate them to show up. WNBA legend Sue Bird believes that behavior is not what the league should be facing.

Injuries are a part of it. I get it, it s***s. If you bought a ticket to see somebody, and they are hurt, I get it, that is like a big bummer. But no, you would never say that about men’s sports. If LeBron was out, or Steph Curry, or the big names were out for a couple of weeks, they are never going to be, ‘Oh, we are going to reimburse you guys’.

Sue Bird said on A Touch More podcast

Sue Bird was referring to certain media narratives about whether teams would reimburse fans after Clark’s injury. She believes this is because the WNBA is not taken as a business. She believes this would not happen in men’s sports.

Megan Rapinoe urges Caitlin Clark to wait until her quad heals completely

While talking about Caitlin Clark‘s quad injury, Sue Bird asked podcast host and fiancée Megan Rapinoe about any prognosis on the Indiana Fever star’s injury. The USWNT great clarified that she did not have experience with a quad injury, but since it pertained to muscles, she said this while drawing on her experience.

For muscle injuries, you have to be patient with them. They can totally linger and be really annoying and last for a long time if you keep trying to come back early. (Clark’s injury) doesn’t seem like a huge one, but I would say, take your time, recover fully. If you go out on it early, it just gets worse.

Megan Rapinoe said

The Olympic gold medal winner believes Clark’s time away from the game seems precautionary. However, even though she could return early if needed, it would be ideal if the 23-year-old takes her time to let the quad heal properly. Not allowing muscle injuries to heal correctly can impact a player’s career.

The Indiana Fever need to start winning to avoid the need to rush Caitlin Clark back

Even though it is early days, the Indiana Fever are in a difficult spot. They are currently a loss away from sliding out of the playoff spots. Compared to last season, the run for a playoff spot is tighter this time, and teams are not giving away an inch.

Indiana Fever need to start winning to avoid rushing Caitlin Clark back
Indiana Fever need to start winning to avoid rushing Caitlin Clark back (Image via Indiana Fever/X)

Therefore, it is important that the Fever start winning basketball games. It is difficult without Caitlin Clark, considering she is their offensive engine. But to avoid throwing the team into a situation of panic, they have to start winning games soon.

Otherwise, they will lose a lot of ground to other playoff contenders, which can have a detrimental impact on their WNBA title-contending chances down the line. If they win, their leading superstar can avoid thoughts of rushing back to her team and recover properly.

Also Read: