Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark said her decision to not play Wednesday due to back soreness was dictated in large part by her level of confidence in her body, particularly as she comes back from a variety of injuries that limited her to 13 games last season.
"I think at the end of the day, it's me and my confidence," Clark told reporters Friday before returning against the visiting Golden State Valkyries. "Coming back from injury and having however many soft tissue injuries [in 2025] is a real mental challenge."
Clark, who missed her first game of the season Wednesday in a win over the Portland Fire, acknowledged that while people expect her confidence to be steady, it can still be up and down.
"These are the best players in the world, and if I don't feel 100% confident in my body on game five of the year, I don't know if that's really worth it in that scenario," she said.
Clark played 32 minutes on Friday, posting 22 points and nine assists in a 90-82 win over the Valkyries.
Clark detailed the lead-up to Wednesday's game, saying she received treatment on Tuesday, which wasn't unusual for her, and approached Wednesday as if she was "100% playing." Once she woke up feeling a little sore on Wednesday, Clark did some physical therapy at home, then got in a pregame workout and lift at Gainbridge Fieldhouse before ultimately deciding not to suit up.
The WNBA confirmed to ESPN on Thursday that it gave the Fever a warning after Clark, who White said did not practice on Tuesday, did not appear on the injury report until 100 minutes before Wednesday's tip, at which point she was ruled out.
"My reaction [to the warning] is, for what?" White said. "Because we did things the right way."
White wasn't the only one who expressed frustration with the public reaction to the situation.
"Want to know what I ate for breakfast, too?" Clark asked sarcastically, before listing her morning meal in detail.
"I actually went back and looked, because of all these narratives that are going crazy online, about when I told my mom I wasn't going to play the game: 4:47," Clark said. "You guys found out at 5:20. So one of the most important people in my life found out 40 minutes before you guys."
Clark said she feels she is putting her body in the best possible position to get through the season and feels good with where she's at physically. But she said that doesn't negate the mental hurdle that comes with returning from injuries, especially since she feels at times last year she probably pushed her limits too much.
"I think there's moments where maybe I get in my head a little bit, and that's understandable," Clark said. "I need to have a little grace with myself. I need people to give me a little bit of grace, too. When you go through so many things, it becomes a little bit traumatizing, too."
Clark said she hopes her back soreness is not something that hinders her, adding that she's "doing everything I can to put myself in the best position I can recovery-wise ... and to play the next game."