Late in the first quarter of Thursday night's game at PHX Arena, Indiana Fever guard Sydney Colson fell awkwardly on her left leg while trying to corral a loose ball. Colson, who turned 36 on Wednesday, has been a key reserve for the Fever this season, especially as Indiana has tried to concoct a winning game plan amid Caitlin Clark's injury-related absences.
But Colson did not return after twisting her left knee against the Mercury, while fellow guard Aari McDonald later went to the locker room herself with a right foot injury. Though Indiana closed to within nine points in the third quarter, Phoenix pulled away and went on to record a comfortable 95-60 win.
MORE: Caitlin Clark's teammate calls Fever star's groin injury 'weird'
Indiana head coach Stephanie White said her injured players would be evaluated further on Friday, as the Fever returns home to prepare for Saturday's game against the Chicago Sky. But with a month left in the WNBA's regular season, only two games in the standings separate the fifth-place Fever from the ninth-place Los Angeles Sparks.
Teams around the Fever -- like the Sparks and the Las Vegas Aces -- seem to be gaining strength, just as Indiana is losing more players to injury. Looming over it all is Clark's uncertain status, as the superstar point guard has no firm timetable to return to action amid a right groin strain that has cost her the past nine games.
Indiana's next four games -- home against Chicago, Dallas and Washington, followed by a visit to Connecticut -- are all against teams not currently in playoff positions. This stretch represents a chance for the Fever (17-14) to stack wins, but the constant injuries present significant rotation problems for White and her staff.
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