Indiana guard Caitlin Clark has been sidelined since July 15 by a groin injury with no return timetable and most recently confronted an official following the Fever’s 81-80 loss to the Wings. ‘Rivals Week’ underperformed when marquee matchups lost both Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese to injuries, revealing limits in the league’s narrative-driven scheduling. The New York Liberty posted a season-high 105 points in a win over the Sparks without Breanna Stewart but then fell 83-77 to the Las Vegas Aces as A’ja Wilson recorded 17 points and 16 rebounds. A physical altercation in the Chicago Sky–Connecticut Sun game led to three ejections and prompted the league office to review on-court discipline. The Minnesota Lynx’s 27-5 pace positions them as the likely top seed and ESPN has identified 10 remaining high-leverage games that will determine final playoff seeding.
