"Demon almost back": Fever fans erupt as Caitlin Clark signals major step toward her long-awaited return as playoffs loom

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, who has been sidelined with a groin injury since mid-July, seems to be closing in on a big return. Ahead of the team's upcoming road game against the Phoenix Mercury, Clark did some full-court practice work with the team's bench unit. The moment was captured by Indy Star Sports reporter Chloe Peterson, who shared with fans via X, formerly known as Twitter.

Considering the playoffs are rapidly approaching, and fans have been anxiously awaiting word on when Clark will be, the footage spread like wildfire.

In response, plenty of fans were quick to weigh in:

Jae

@oneofone_jae

Demon almost back fawkkk

Trent Harvey

@TheTrentHarvey

@chloepeterson67 This is good

GaryVilla

@GaryVilla19

@chloepeterson67 I hope she gets in tonight on a time limited basis! Even as a decoy. But, if she gets open, fire them 3’s without hesitation.

Plenty of other fans also weighed in, with several expressing optimism about a potential return before the start of the playoffs:

WERM

@JermySaintLouis

@chloepeterson67 Getting ready for the playoffs.. 😈

Michael

@Michael72017843

@chloepeterson67 If she was not returning they would not have her out there doing these reps. This is how you gain your stamina back.

Michael

@Michael72017843

@chloepeterson67 You see how she is out hustling everyone on the court, that is 7 weeks of energy waiting to be burned off. Easy a 25 point game when she returns

Including the game against the Mercury, the Fever have just four games left on their regular-season schedule. The team is seventh in the WNBA standings with a 21-19 record.

The Seattle Storm are nipping at their heels, putting them in danger of dropping into eighth place, which would lead to a first-round clash with the Minnesota Lynx.

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What will it take for Fever to green-light Caitlin Clark's return?

Given that the Fever are in danger of dropping to eighth place in the WNBA, many fans want to see Caitlin Clark return to action sooner rather than later.

Although there's been no definitive timeline given by the team or coach Stephanie White, Clark's full-court practice footage signals that things are trending in the right direction.

Many fans are wondering what it will take for the team to green-light Clark's return. Late last month, White explained that while she hopes Clark will return this season, she must first see the 2024 Rookie of the Year practice at full speed before giving the go-ahead.

"I want to see her in practice, live in practice," White told reporters. "I want to see her to continue to work to not just build endurance, but to be able to handle contact 94 feet as it's going to be in game, and to be able to do that and sustain from an endurance standpoint, and that's going to take multiple practices to make sure that there's no regression.

"As most of us know, when we get fatigued, we look different. [We need to see] how she plays through fatigue."

With the clock ticking, we'll have to wait and see whether Caitlin Clark jumps back into 5-on-5 scrimmages later in the week.