Caitlin Clark is "very hopeful" about making her return for the Indiana Fever against the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday night.Clark has been transparent about her recovery timeline and indicated what the working plan seems to be for the team as she works her way back from her back injury."Very hopeful for tomorrow, and obviously, I think it will be difficult for me to play both this one on Wednesday and then obviously the one on Thursday. But we'll see. Not from a health standpoint, well obviously a health standpoint, but just getting back into it," Clark said.Those words hint at the likely scenario of her suiting up in Los Angeles and then not taking the floor the next night against the Phoenix Mercury, the team she was injured against in high-profile and controversial fashion. The Fever star also shared that she is trending toward playing under a minutes restriction if she is indeed able to go versus the Sparks."I would assume I'd be on a minutes restriction tomorrow. Still, hopefully a little over 20 if I'm able to go and I feel like I will be...hopefully feel good after the game in LA and then available in Vegas," she added.It doesn't take much reading into to ascertain that Clark is at least mentally preparing to play against the Sparks, possibly sit out the next night versus the Mercury, and then return again for the final game of the road trip against the Aces on Sunday.She added that she is feeling good overall but the travel is something to manage and that a back injury can have a trickle down effect to other areas of the body. Clearly, Clark has learned the lesson from her injury-riddled 2025 campaign and is erring on the side of caution for the long haul in 2026.Sparks Are Good Opponent to Return AgainstJun 22, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) celebrates a made shot in the first half against the Phoenix Mercury at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectThere is too much parity in the WNBA for any opponent to be taken lightly, but the Sparks should be a good one for Clark to ease her way back into the flow against. The Fever handled Los Angeles in their last meeting without her, and that's because the Sparks not only feature a porous defense but are without their best player in Kelsey Plum.Thus, Clark should have a chance to get her body right, her confidence up, and put up some big statistics—even if they come in limited minutes.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow