Nobody summed it better than Sophie Cunningham. “We keep signing people, but we’re running out of people to sign,” the Indiana Fever star had painfully admitted about the team, quite clearly failing to make a mark this season. With Caitlin Clark struggling with injuries piling on top of another, her backup Sydney Colson down with a left knee ACL tear, and the reinforcements, Aari McDonald and Odyssey Sims out with a broken bone in her right foot and a right groin injury, respectively, the state of the roster isn’t just worrisome, it’s dilapidated. Unfortunately, the list doesn’t end there.

Low off their terrible third quarter-induced 95-90 loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Friday night, Stephanie White & Co. are heading into a crucial stretch that will see them face the Lynx again, followed by the Storm and the Sparks. But, if it wasn’t looking bad already, the team’s latest media report that has quickly become the talk of the town. Why? A staggering total of six players are sidelined with injuries.

Joining the list was Chloe Bibby, who was initially signed on a seven-day contract in July and then handed a rest of season contract earlier this month, had sat out the last game against the Lynx after feeling discomfort in her left knee during pregame warm ups. As per the current update, she will be out with an unspecified left knee issue. Sims, on the other hand, was listed as ‘Probable’ for the upcoming clash, as the rest of the names mentioned above were tagged as ‘Out’. It’s not hard to understand that the constant roster change has been overwhelming for the players that remain. Yet, players are not losing hope.

During a media conversation earlier this week, team veteran Aliyah Boston said, “I think adjusting is the name of the game. That’s kind of been our season. And so for me, it’s just about continuing to approach every game the same, trying to find where I can get my touches, just trying to give us extra possessions. And so for me, I think I just take a game by game and just try to continue to show up and be that consistent piece.”

But, let’s be honest. This expansive injury list right before the most crucial stretch of the season is anything but a morale booster. The Fever have brought in Ariel Powers and Shey Peddy on hardship contracts to fill the gaps, but it hardly screams confidence. And with the growing concerns, the Fever aren’t the only ones feeling the sting these days.

The fans are right in it with them, but first, they are going to need some answers.

Fans react to Caitlin Clark and co going down to bare bones

“It’s amazing how the refs allow the rest of the WNBA to assault the Fever players on a regular basis,” one fan commented. This frustration isn’t new among Fever fans. They’ve long felt their players don’t get the calls they deserve. The players have voiced it, Stephanie White has voiced it, and the clips have been circulated.

In one instance Sophie Cunningham was issued a foul while a replay had clearly shown it must have been an offensive foul on Paige Bueckers. In another, Caitlin Clark was accidentally poked in the eye and shoved to the ground in a matter of seconds while playing the Sun. In a repeat of shoving and pushing, the reigning ROTY even ended up getting hit with a technical for arguing. So fans aren’t letting anything pass.

One fan even mocked the officials sarcastically, saying, “The next thing, refs won’t have jobs,” hinting that at the rate Fever players are going down, there won’t be anyone left to call fouls against.

But it’s not just the refs that fans are angry with — the Fever organization is taking plenty of heat too. “How exactly did Bibby get hurt? This team is ridiculous on updating fans. We already know CC’s injuries are being misreported,” one fan commented. Be it with Clark updates, including her delayed ‘bone bruise’ report or with Cunningham, the Fever seemed to have held back info. It was only after Sophie revealed on her podcast that she had suffered an MCL tear, that the fans knew the details.

“They’re going to keep writing (right groin) for Clark, but she’s now on that ankle bone bruise timeline whether they wanna admit it or not,” one fan said. When Clark went down with her third groin injury, the team initially labeled it as “day-to-day.” It’s been 14 games since, and the status has only been updated to “no fixed return.” The same seems to be happening with Bibby, with no concrete information as of yet.

The Australian hooper, who signed with the Fever on July 25 and impressed by averaging 9 points per game, earned herself a rest-of-the-season contract on August 1. Just 23 days later, she’s already sidelined with an injury. And she has company. Odyssey Sims, signed on a hardship contract on August 10 and rewarded with another the following week while averaging 8.5 points per game, is now also sidelined with a groin injury. So what’s really going on with the Fever? Why are so many players getting hurt? One frustrated fan echoed the sentiment.

“What are they doing to them in the weight room and at practice? And maybe add some electrolytes for all these muscle injuries…” one questioned.

We don’t know the cause, but the Fever have, nonetheless, ensured to remain resilient. They are still in the playoff contention, and the first half lead, coupled with late game surge against the Lynx proved that the team is not backing off just yet.