Caitlin Clark didn't get the foul call she was hoping for in the Indiana Fever's 99-88 loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Friday.
After the match, Clarke commented on a moment when he was punched by an opposing player and the referee did not blow the whistle, saying he wanted to control such moments better because they had an emotional impact on him.
“I thought I got fouled a couple times in the second half on mid-range jump shots,” Clark said. “That happens. Sometimes they call the foul, sometimes they don't. That's the way it is. I think I was a little too comfortable with the mid-range jump shots, but I thought I got bumped a little bit and, honestly, I was trying to fake a shot to draw a foul.”
“So I guess I could have controlled my emotions a little better.”
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Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark smiles as she looks at the team bench after making a scoring pass to the basket during the second half of a game against the Dallas Wings on Sept. 1, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
But Clark added that he doesn't see any need to change his feelings.
“I think there are limits and sometimes passion and emotion get the better of you,” Clark said, “but it's not something I want to change or anyone on the team wants to change.”
At one point during the game's third quarter, Clark was taken to the floor by Minnesota's Napheesa Collier, whose arm appeared to hit Clark above the head and shoulder area as Clark attempted to score in the paint.
The referee did not call a foul on Collier, and Clark lay on the floor with his arms outstretched at his sides.
Clark was in no rush to catch up and the Lynx ran down the court on a fast break to score, putting the Fever down by 10 points from which they would not climb back up.
Clark coach Christy Sides also spoke about the incident after the game.
“When she gets upset or angry, we've been trying to figure out how to work through those moments,” Sides said. “She has to learn that in those moments, a point guard has to stay calm and get to where they need to be offensively, and if it's not the foul call she thought it was, she has to bounce back.”
“Everything we do has a reaction and in those moments we have to make sure we don't put ourselves in a worse position.”
Since coming to the WNBA, Clark has had to quickly control her emotions regarding hard fouls.
Last week, Chicago Sky player Diamond DeShields sent Clark flying across the floor for a foul that was later upgraded to a Flagrant 1. After the game, DeShields posted a screenshot of his notification list on Instagram, which included a string of hateful comments from users.
Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark reacts to a flagrant foul committed by Chicago Sky's Diamond DeShields at Wintrust Arena on August 30, 2024 in Chicago. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Clark was the subject of an infamous illegal hip check by Chicago Sky forward Chennedy Carter on June 1. Carter refused to answer questions about the incident during his post-game press conference but has repeatedly criticized Clark on social media.
Sky rookie Angel Reese hit Clark in the head with her arm while trying to block a pass during a June 16 game.
Former NBA All-Star Joakim Noah believes the Fever should address this issue by signing a player who can counter teams that try to get too physical with Clark.
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The Chicago Sky's Diamond DeShields will face the Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark on August 30, 2024 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
“If I was the owner of the Indiana Fever, I'd hire a real enforcer to protect her,” Noah told Fox News Digital during an interview on “NBA Night” at the Emirates Suite at the U.S. Open in New York on Wednesday.
Noah acknowledged that Clark may be coming under fire from opposing players because they know he has the talent to make a difference on the court.
“I feel like sometimes she's under attack because she's such a talented person,” he said, “but at the end of the day, we're in the business to win games. So if I were the owner (of the Indiana Fever), I'd have a true enforcer there.”
But Noah believes the physical treatment Clark received has been great for the WNBA.
“I think it's great,” Noah said when asked specifically about the foul that occurred against Chicago. “I think it's all entertainment.”
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Indiana Fever player Caitlin Clark reacts during the second half of a game against the Washington Mystics at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 10, 2024 in Indianapolis. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
ESPN announcer Holly Rowe echoed Noah's sentiments in an interview with Fox News Digital last month.
“I think it's good for the sport,” Rowe said. “I love salty things. That's why it's competitive, it's a sport.”
Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley appeared on “The Bill Simmons Podcast” on Wednesday and criticized players for ruining the positive attention Clark's rookie season brought to the WNBA this year.
“These women, I'm a WNBA fan, but they couldn't have tried to screw up the Caitlin Clark thing any more,” Barkley said on the show. “This girl is incredible,” Barkley said. “The amount of attention and attention she's brought to college and the pros is enormous, and when these women have this petty jealousy, in your mind you're like, 'Damn, what the hell is going on?'”
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