The excitement surrounding this weekend’s WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis began deflating like a pierced balloon Tuesday night when Caitlin Clark grabbed her groin area and walked off the court in tears.

Athletes know their bodies and when they’ve suffered a potentially serious injury. That’s the look Ms. Clark had on her face when she left the court holding her groin area with 39 seconds left in the Indiana Fever’s 85-77 victory over the Connecticut Sun.

Indiana’s coach, Stephanie White, said Ms. Clark “felt something in her groin,” and would be evaluated. But given Ms. Clark’s rash of injuries this season, it seems unlikely she’ll be able to recover in time to fully compete in the activities planned for All-Star Weekend.

For most athletes, missing an All-Star game wouldn’t be a big deal. Most players nursing injuries simply take that time off to heal. But Ms. Clark is expected to be a huge presence this weekend, serving as the unofficial host of the All-Star Weekend with the event in her home city and home arena.

The build-up for the league’s mid-season showcase started weeks ago when Nike erected a 30-story mural of Ms. Clark on the JW Marriott in downtown Indianapolis. The hype continued when she was named a team captain after receiving more All-Star votes from fans than any other player.

The excitement increased on Tuesday when it was announced Ms. Clark would participate in her first 3-point contest during Friday’s skills competitions at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. She joined a list of competitors that include the New York Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu, who won the contest in 2023, the Los Angeles Sparks’s Kelsey Plum, the Washington Mystic’s Sonia Citron, and the defending champion, Allisha Gray of the Atlanta Dream.

Prior to the game against the Sun, Ms. Clark expressed excitement about participating in the contest. Her deadly 3-point shooting helped her become college basketball’s all-time leading scorer during her career at Iowa.

“Obviously, it’s exciting,” she said. “I’ve never participated in a 3-point competition before, so just go out there and have fun. I think the lineup of people competing is tremendous. More than anything it’s going to be great for our league and for women’s basketball as a whole.”

The 3-point contest will be televised by ESPN and was expected to draw huge ratings with Ms. Clark involved. But the viewership likely won’t be as impressive without her participation.

It’s well-documented that viewership of Fever games and WNBA games dropped by more than 50 percent when Ms. Clark missed five games in May and June with a left quad injury. She then missed another five games, including the Commissioner’s Cup Championship, because of a groin injury.  

Tuesday night’s game against the Sun was her fourth game back, and it appeared she was ready to perform her full duties this weekend. She had 14 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists before aggravating the groin injury.

“I think we just take it one step at a time,” Ms. White said of Ms. Clark’s latest setback. “She’s being evaluated. We’ll see what happens with that. We’ll have another conversation in the morning and see where we are. But this group has played without her. At least we’ve got that experience.”

The 12-10 Fever visit the New York Liberty at Brooklyn Wednesday night before the All-Star break, and Ms. Clark indicated her schedule of All-Star activities would begin with appearances on Thursday.

The Fever will monitor Ms. Clark’s activities for the next couple of days. Her long-term health is a higher priority than participating in this weekend’s All-Star activities. Yet, her absence as a competitive player would be a huge blow not only to the league, but also to sponsors and the networks that have invested in the event.