On Thursday, Caitlin Clark announced on X that she would not be returning to action this season. This announcement makes it crystal clear that the Indiana Fever will have to continue their playoff push without their sensational court general.In a clip posted by Fever beat reporter Chloe Peterson on Friday, head coach Stephanie White opened up on the process that led to Clark's painful decision to call it a season. According to White, the Fever maintained open communication with CC but ultimately set some milestones to gauge her recovery process."We knew that the West Coast road trip was going to be a big one to see where we could get," White told reporters at a media availability. "She's been working her butt off to be able to get back, but we've kinda run out of time to be able to do it [her return] in a safe way."White, who is in her second stint as Fever head coach, added that Clark's long-term well-being definitely factored into the final decision."It's frustrating, all the injuries that she's had," White said of Clark's mindset. "Ultimately, I think the big picture is the most important thing, and those are conversations that we continue to have."In all likelihood, White was referring a three-game stretch last week in which the Fever took on West Coast teams like the Seattle Storm, the LA Sparks, and the Golden State Valkyries. Though Indiana defeated the Storm and the Sparks in this West Coast trip, Clark was still not in good enough shape to make a regular season comeback.With just two games left in their regular season, the Fever holds a 22-20 record, which is good for seventh place. They have yet to secure a playoff spot, but just like they've done for several weeks now, they will have to thrive without Clark."Caitlin Clark is the ultimate multiplier effect": Fever GM pays tribute to superstar's impactJust a day before Clark made her fateful announcement, Fever GM Amber Cox showered her with praise for her impact on the WNBA's popularity.Appearing on the "Navigating Sports Business" podcast, Cox talked about CC influencing non-WNBA fans to tune in to the product."Caitlin was the ultimate multiplier effect for all of us working at different teams, and certainly for the Indiana Fever," Cox said on the podcast. "A lot of people who had never had eyes on the WNBA came out for the first time and realized what they had been missing for so many years."Cox's first year with the Fever happens to have coincided with the arrival of Clark in Indianapolis. The Fever GM, along with the rest of the Fever fanbase, is now rooting for Clark to eventually return at 100%.