Across her four years in Iowa and her first season as a pro with the Indiana Fever, Caitlin Clark had never missed a game. Until now, after the Fever announced on Monday that Clark will be out at least two weeks with a left quad strain.

Clark had been limited in the preseason with what she described as tightness in her left quad, though the team did not explicitly say in the announcement whether this injury was an aggravation of that previous issue.

It hasn’t been a perfect start to the season for the Fever, who are 2-2 with narrow losses to the Atlanta Dream and defending champion New York Liberty. Now a group that is incorporating several new players will be without its offensive conductor for the time being. Clark leads the team in scoring at 19.0 points per game and leads the league in assists at 9.3 dimes per contest.

ESPN breaks down what we know about Clark’s injury and the impact it’ll have on the championship-minded Fever.

What games do we know Clark will miss?

Kendra Andrews: The Fever’s current two-week timeline rules Clark out of four games, minimum: at the Washington Mystics, at home against the Connecticut Sun and Mystics, and on the road at the Chicago Sky.

Clark’s reexamination date is set for June 9 — but that’s when she’ll be examined again, not necessarily when she’ll be able to return.

Indiana plays in Atlanta on June 10 and then has a four-day break before its next game hosting the New York Liberty.

Recovery from a quad strain could range from a few weeks to several months, so at this point, the extent of Clark’s absence is hard to tell.

What does this mean for the Fever?

Michael Voepel: At 2-2, Indiana’s two losses are by a combined three points. Seven of the Fever’s next eight games are against teams they likely should be favored against even without Clark, but their margin for error is much lower now. The other game in that stretch is against New York on June 14, and Clark might be back by then.

If there were a so-called “good” time in the season for this to happen, it’s now. Not because the Fever can take any of the upcoming opponents for granted, but because it gives the team an opportunity to see how it can play without one of the league’s best players — and who will step forward. What the Fever players learn about themselves in the next couple of weeks could prove valuable down the line.

Coach Stephanie White has talked about the Fever needing to improve when Clark doesn’t have the ball in her hands, and now Indiana will have to do that while Clark is sidelined. It’s not going to be easy, but they have no choice.

How will Indiana try to replace Clark’s production?

Voepel: Clark has been a workhorse throughout her basketball career, and her teams are used to her being on the court.

But the Fever have options and will likely go with a point guard by committee. We can look at how the minutes were distributed in their preseason 79-74 overtime win against the Mystics on May 3 (Clark didn’t play because of a leg injury). Veteran point guard Sydney Colson, brought to Indiana this season after winning two titles with Las Vegas, started and played 15 minutes. Starting shooting guard Kelsey Mitchell played 28 minutes. Guards Sophie Cunningham (34 minutes) and Lexie Hull (33) came off the bench.

Saturday against New York, Hull (26 minutes) moved into the starting lineup and forward/guard DeWanna Bonner (23) shifted to the bench with Cunningham (20). Clark played 38 minutes and Mitchell 34, while Colson didn’t get into the game.

Alexa Philippou: While the Fever do have more depth this season thanks to their offseason moves, Clark accounts for so much of their offensive production that it’ll be difficult to make up for that. So far this season, Indiana’s offensive rating is 107.5 with Clark on the floor and 82.2 in 20 minutes with her off it. Assuming their scoring output takes a hit without Clark, that’ll put pressure on the Fever’s defense to step up even more so they can pick up some wins that way.

What does this injury mean for Clark’s season?

Voepel: Missing games is new for Clark so there is a mental aspect to dealing with the injury as well as the physical. Expect that she will be very engaged in games from the sideline, encouraging her teammates. Clark was the preseason betting favorite for MVP (not that that’s her concern; she hasn’t talked about any individual award goals, only team objectives). Of course, any time without Clark is worrisome for Indiana. But provided Clark can return in a reasonable time frame, the Fever shouldn’t have to moderate their long-term expectations.

Andrews: As long as her quad heals properly — and she doesn’t come back before she’s ready, further injuring herself — there’s no reason to believe this injury should have a great impact on Clark’s season, or any individual or team accolades she and the Fever are playing for. Even if she misses a month total, there is more than enough time left in the season for her to make a case for herself for MVP. As a team, yes, the Fever are worse off without Clark. But if her teammates can keep Indiana afloat during her absence, they should still be considered a competitive playoff team. The fact that this injury occurred so early in the season should give the Fever and Clark confidence that their long-term goals for this year are not lost.