The Golden State Valkyries will face the WNBA defending champion New York Liberty Tuesday, but the expansion team might miss out on the biggest draw of the league in a few weeks.
Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark will miss at least two weeks with a left quad strain, the team announced on Monday. Clark was kept out of the preseason with left quad tightness, but the two injuries are not related, according to the Indianapolis Star.
The Valkyries are scheduled to play the Fever at Chase Center on June 19, marking the first of three meetings between the two teams. Indiana will be back in San Francisco on Aug. 31.
As of Monday, ticket prices are still relatively high for Clark’s highly-anticipated first visit to the Bay Area.
The cheapest upper bowl seats on Ticketmaster and StubHub start at $118. StubHub currently has lower bowl seating starting at $247 while the cheapest Ticketmaster seats are set at $335.
At the minimum, Clark will miss four games. She is scheduled to be re-evaluated on June 9, but that does not guarantee she will make her return by then.
Depending on the severity of the strain, Clark could miss anywhere from two weeks to several months. The team did not include what grade strain she suffered in their news release, but it is safe to assume that Indiana will be very careful with their franchise player.
Golden State will have eight games before Indiana comes to town, starting with a two-game series in New York this week. The Valkyries will also have games against the Minnesota Lynx, Las Vegas Aces and the Phoenix Mercury.
The Valkyries are off to a 2-1 start after beating the Los Angeles Sparks last Friday.