Just days ahead of one of the most anticipated basketball events in Baltimore in years, the biggest name will be forced to sit out.

The Indiana Fever announced Monday that star guard Caitlin Clark will miss at least two weeks with a left quad strain, a huge absence for Wednesday’s game against the Washington Mystics at CFG Bank Arena.

Clark, who is averaging 19 points and 9.3 assists for the 2-2 Fever, is one of the huge economic drivers of the WNBA, selling out arenas at many of her games. The Fever averaged more than 16,000 fans per game last year, nearly double the average WNBA attendance. While Clark is known for a feisty rivalry with Randallstown native Angel Reese, demand for a seat for Indiana’s games are still high in the market.

When the Mystics relocated their two games against the Fever to Baltimore for May 28 and Sept. 7, they soon became the hottest-selling Mystics home tickets, according to StubHub. The site reported the average price for a ticket sold on the secondary market as $350.

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Clark’s absence from the court is a tough blow to a town that struggles to book high-level basketball games. Wednesday’s affair is the first-ever Mystics game played in Baltimore, and the city hasn’t booked an NBA preseason game or NCAA tournament game in more than a decade.

Since its reopening, CFG Bank Arena has hosted the CIAA Tournament, and the University of Maryland men’s basketball team will return in November for the first time in several years for its season-opener against Coppin State.

Towson, the Coastal Athletic Association regular-season champion in 2024-25, and Loyola Maryland will also play as part of a fall doubleheader.

Sapna Bansil contributed reporting to this story.