Indiana coach livid over ‘unacceptable’ cheap shot on Caitlin Clark despite win
Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark tossed the ball high into the air as time expired Saturday. Veteran guard Kelsey Mitchell started clapping. Finally, after four consecutive home losses, the Fever were celebrating.
In the latest matchup between college rivals Clark and Angel Reese, and on a day former South Carolina star Kamilla Cardoso made her regular-season pro debut in front of another sellout crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Clark finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and six assists in a 71-70 victory over the Chicago Sky.
“It was great, and I think it came at a really great time,” Clark said after winning the inaugural Commissioner’s Cup game. “Our fans were awesome. They were energized. You know we really didn’t shoot the ball well at all collectively as a team and you know sometimes that’s hard for the fans, like that’s what they come to see. But I think they really appreciated our great defense tonight.”
This contest was about much more than scores or stats, though.
It featured three of the top seven picks from this year’s draft – three players in a generational rookie class who could all become the new faces of the WNBA – and a week in which Fever fans were treated to seeing each of the top four draft picks and five of the top seven.
This time, Clark got the upper hand on two of the women who prevented her from winning an NCAA championship even as she took a shoulder shot from the Sky’s Chennedy Carter before an inbound pass during the third quarter. The refs called it an away-from-the-ball foul.
After the game, Carter said she wouldn’t take any questions about Clark. Reese, who appeared to applaud Carter’s foul on Clark, did not take questions from reporters following the game. On Sunday, the WNBA said Reese had been fined for “failing to make herself available to the media for interviews”.
In an X post after the game, Fever coach Christie Sides said Carter’s foul on Clark was “unacceptable”, adding: “When will the consistent complaints be heard?!? Something has to be done!”
Sides also mentioned in her postgame comments that the Fever intends to raise Clark’s treatment with the WNBA.
“We’re just going to keep sending these possessions to the league, and these plays, and hopefully they’ll start, you know, taking a better look at some of the things that we see happening, or we think is happening,” Sides said. “Just more happy that Caitlin handled it the way she did. You know, it’s tough to keep getting hammered the way she does and to not get rewarded with free throws or foul calls. She’s continued to fight through that. Appreciate that from her. Really, really proud of her for doing that.”
Before the game, Sides attempted to play up the rivalry between the two Midwestern teams, but the loud pregame ovation for Clark and a smattering of boos that were quickly drowned out by cheers for Reese during pregame introductions typified the showdown.
Reese finished with eight points and 13 rebounds in her latest round against Clark while Cardoso played for the first time since injuring her right shoulder in a preseason game. Cardoso had 11 points and six rebounds in 18 minutes but was called for a foul that led to Aliyah Boston’s three-point play with 1:19 left, which proved the difference.
“I thought earlier this season if we would have shot like this, we wouldn’t have won the game because we didn’t have that resiliency and we would have let it affect our defensive play,” Clark said. “So just proud of us, I thought we were really gritty.”
News
VIDEO: Caitlin Clark’s teammate at Indiana pours water on Caitlin Clark.(VIDEO).
Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever teammates rewarded her with a hysterical celebration following her triple-double in Saturday’s win over the New York Liberty. In the Fever’s 83-78 victory, the first overall pick of 2024 finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists….
WOW??? Revealing the reason why Caitlin Clark was removed from the US team.
Jun 1, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) shoots a free throw against the Chicago Sky during a game at Grainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Michelle Pemberton/INDIANAPOLIS STAR-USA TODAY Sports / INDIANAPOLIS STAR-USA TODAY Sports Indiana Fever…
WOW!!! Angel Reese special greetings: My first child.
Angel Reese is enjoying her time in Chicago, both on and off the court. She recently had an outstanding homecoming game, where she helped the Chicago Sky secure a Commissioner Cup victory over the Washington Mystics. The games was significant for Reese, as she began…
Geno Auriemma 11-time national champion: He thinks fans are “delusional” with unrealistic expectations about Caitlin Clark.
UConn women’s basketball coach and 11-time national champion Geno Auriemma didn’t hold back on his thoughts of Caitlin Clark. He says the rookie has been set up for failure because of a “delusional” fanbase with unrealistic expectations. UConn women’s basketball…
OH MY GOD?? WNBA fans were stunned when Caitlin Clark fell behind Sparks Center in ESPN’s rookie rankings.
Fans react to ESPN’s WNBA rookie rankings placing Caitlin Clark at sixth (Cameron Brink’s image via her Instagram) The WNBA’s fans are up in arms after ESPN ranked Caitlin Clark below five other rookies in their first rookie ladder. LA…
Video of Angel Reese bad-mouthing Caitlin Clark is going viral
The rivalry between Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark is well known to everyone, and a recent video fuels the rivalry even more, but is the video real? Let’s read about it. Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark The Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese…
End of content
No more pages to load