Caitlin Clark drains bucket to win Fever's pregame halfcourt shot contest prize ahead of return from injury

Caitlin Clark is expected to marque her highly anticipated return to the WNBA hardwood erstwhile the Indiana Fever big the undefeated New York Liberty Saturday afternoon.

Clark strained a quadriceps during the Fever’s 90-88 nonaccomplishment to the Liberty May 24 and was initially projected to miss 2 weeks. She has been sidelined for 5 games during a three-week span.

But it doesn't look Clark's shooting skills diminished during her clip distant from competition.

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Indiana Fever defender Caitlin Clark against the Dallas Wings successful the 2nd fractional successful Indianapolis Sept. 15, 2024.  (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)

Shortly aft the Fever announced Clark was cleared to play this weekend, the squad shared a video of the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year draining a changeable from the team's logo during Friday's pregame halfcourt contest.

"CC locked in," the squad wrote connected X.

Clark celebrated by swinging a signifier jersey successful the aerial and jokingly instructing her Indiana teammates to "go outcry astir it."

FEVER, SKY MATCHUP DRAWS BIG VIEWERSHIP AS AN INJURED CAITLIN CLARK CHEERS FROM SIDELINES

The Fever defender besides showed disconnected the currency prize she won.

Indiana Fever defender Caitlin Clark (22) shoots arsenic the Dallas Wings' Jacy Sheldon (4) and Natasha Howard, right, support successful the archetypal fractional Sept. 1, 2024, successful Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

While the Fever gave Clark the greenish airy to instrumentality to enactment Saturday, it remains unclear however overmuch playing clip she'll get. Clark told reporters she's been moving her mode backmost from wounded implicit the past fewer weeks.

"It's decidedly been a process," she said. "I deliberation the hardest portion is erstwhile you get to consciousness truly good, and it's conscionable a process of moving yourself backmost into really getting up and down and getting retired determination with my teammates. ... I'm super, ace excited. Antsy to get retired there. Probably shingle disconnected a small spot of rust."

Indiana Fever defender Caitlin Clark applauds her teammates during the archetypal fractional against the Chicago Sky astatine United Center successful Chicago June 7, 2025. (Kamil Krzaczynski/Imagn Images)

In an Instagram post Friday, the Fever wrote, "She's backmost … Caitlin Clark is acceptable to play time against New York."

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Fever caput manager Stephanie White said Monday the squad was acceptable for Clark to commencement "ramping backmost up," but she did not accidental whether Clark had been cleared for hoops activities. White added Thursday that Clark and Sophie Cunningham, who’s been sidelined since May 30, had "limited" reps during practice.

Clark is averaging 19 points, 9.3 assists and six rebounds successful 4 games this season.

Fox News' Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.

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