Caitlin Clark sitting out at least the next two weeks because of a quad strain is the type of bad news all WNBA franchises must be prepared to navigate.
With a 12-player limit and teams often operating with only 11 on the roster for salary cap reasons, the loss of any player is a concern. Losing a starter who affects every part of your team the way Clark does for the Indiana Fever is what keeps coaches and general managers awake at night. That’s why the structure of a roster is key.
The most successful teams figure out how to deal with personnel losses. Last season, the Minnesota Lynx went 3-2 without star forward Napheesa Collier, who sat out five games in July because of plantar fasciitis before returning to play in the Olympics and then leading Minnesota to the WNBA Finals. And this season, the Lynx have remained steady enough without guard Kayla McBride (personal reasons) to go 4-0 and retain their No. 1 position in the second weekly edition of ESPN’s WNBA Power Rankings.
Some injuries can be played through while others…
