There’s no quicker way to take the air out of a WNBA arena than seeing Caitlin Clark in a heap on the hardwood. That was the case Monday night in Atlanta, when the Indiana Fever star suffered a scary ankle injury that left all 17,608 fans at State Farm Arena in a stunned silence.

Clark injury worries fans

In the opening quarter, Clark needed assistance leaving the court after rolling her left ankle while attempting to avoid colliding with teammate Aliyah Boston during a defensive play.As the training personnel attended to her on the bench, where she was pictured without shoes on, fever admirers were clutching their pearls.

For the whole WNBA, it served as a harsh reminder that its exceptional rookie is not unbeatable.

Playing through the pain

Despite her discomfort, Clark continued to play and repeatedly raised the pulse of the sold-out audience with her explosive crossovers and trademark three-pointer.

Notably, the former Iowa standout only turned the ball over twice while finishing with an effective 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists. Atlanta made a late run, but Indiana held on for an 84-79 victory. Even though the season has ten games remaining, the team has already achieved its highest win total (14) since 2016 (17).

What did Caitlin Clark say about her ankle injury?

After the game, Clark was open and honest, downplaying any worries about a long-term ankle issue. Her competitive, “real hooper” attitude toward the terrifying play won her many fans.

She laughed and said, “I looked really soft,” to the reporters. “It wasn’t that bad of a turn, but it hurt.”

The 22-year-old asserted, “If you haven’t sprained your ankles a lot, you’re not a real basketball player.”