Through the first nine games of Caitlin Clark’s WNBA career, the two biggest topics of discussion surrounding her and the Fever are about just how good she is, but also how she is being officiated and adjusting to the next level.
It has become quite evident just how polarizing of a player she can be, but it has also been made abundantly clear by other teams that they will get physical with her and try to rial her up. Something that may have Clark a little more chippy than she was during her time at Iowa. The Fever’s Thursday night loss against Seattle was a prime example of just how physical teams are with her, as even Clark’s head coach Christie Sides was given a technical for scolding officials for not calling a foul on what was a very physical play on Clark.
Fans also took notice of the lack of calls, and are adamant that the WNBA refs are swallowing the whistle because it’s Clark on the receiving end.
Sides wasn’t the only person to get a technical foul, as Clark also got one for getting into it with Storm guard Victoria Vivians after hitting a deep three. While many fans are loving the chippiness, it may also eventually come with a hefty price and punishment for Clark and the Fever.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) talks to Seattle Storm guard Victoria Vivians (35) following being run into after making a three-pointer, Thursday, May 30, 2024, during the WNBA game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
© Joe Timmerman/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
Thursday’s technical marked her third in nine games and second in the last two, as she received one for arguing with the refs against the Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday. One that led to Sides saying that the team needs to do less talking to the refs.
“We’re spending too much time talking to the officials,” Sides said.” We’ve got to leave that alone. We’ve got to just play our game and let them do their job and not put it in their hands to make decisions that ultimately hurt us. We don’t want… we shouldn’t get technicals. Let me get the technicals. Let me go after the officials.”
