Caitlin Clark returns as Fever fall to Sparks

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark returned from a two-game absence due to a back injury but struggled in a 106-92 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena. Clark, playing for the first time since June 24, was limited to approximately 16 minutes and scored nine points on 4-of-12 shooting in the Fever's defeat.

The rookie guard, who had expressed hope for a minutes restriction around 20, made just one of six attempts from three-point range and committed four turnovers. She added four rebounds, three assists, and a steal. After the game, Clark acknowledged the difficulty of finding a rhythm following her layoff, stating she got good looks but some shots did not fall. She emphasized that her body felt great, which she considered a positive takeaway from the contest.

The loss snapped a brief positive stretch for Indiana, which had won three of its previous four games, including a dominant 111-87 victory over these same Sparks on June 27. In that game, the Fever were without Clark and fellow All-Star Aliyah Boston, who also missed Wednesday's matchup with a right leg injury. Boston's absence was felt, as she is averaging 17.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per...