Caitlin Clark confirms she ruptured eardrum against New York Liberty in early June
ATLANTA -- Nearly three weeks after Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark left the Barclays Center court in Brooklyn with an injury, she confirmed what happened.
Clark was playing in the fourth quarter of what became a blowout loss to the New York Liberty on June 2 when she suffered the injury, walking off the court with trainer Todd Champlin. She eventually returned to the bench but did not get back into the game.
Related: Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston got hurt late in blowout loss. Here's why they were still in.
In the week following the injury, Clark didn't specify what entailed her injury, saying "It's still a little hard to hear, but I'm all good." With a four-day break between New York on June 2 and the Fever's next game against Washington on June 7, she never missed time.
Caitlin Clark exited last game with ear pain after a hard hit. She then practiced both days — and is cleared for tonight in Washington DC five days later.
"Yeah, I'm good. It's still a little hard to hear, but it's all good."https://t.co/NkPvJopE4U pic.twitter.com/0I3ClqL6uz— Scott Agness (@ScottAgness) June 7, 2024
On Friday, though, Clark confirmed she ruptured her eardrum while talking about her "Welcome to the W" moment.
“I've been popped on a couple screens, actually ruptured my eardrum in New York on a flex screen," Clark said pregame, laughing. "… They’re great screens, I just didn’t hear them, so it’s kind of my own fault.”
This is the second time Clark suffered a minor injury this season. She tweaked her ankle in the second quarter of Indiana's game against Connecticut on May 20, limping off the court. She quickly returned to the bench and played the second half as normal, and the injury didn't persist.
Clark unfazed following injury: ‘Every basketball player has an ankle injury’
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark confirms ruptured eardrum in early June