The Indiana Fever picked up their second win of the season — their first at home and a win in their first Commissioner’s Cup game — edging the Chicago Sky 71-70 on Saturday behind 18 points from Kelsey Mitchell and 17 from NaLyssa Smith.
However, after the game, all the talk focused on Chennedy Carter’s off-ball foul of Caitlin Clark.
Chennedy Carter scores and gives a shoulder to Caitlin Clarkpic.twitter.com/nQxkw1rvhH
— ✶ Ⓜ️𝕒𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕤 ▶️ ✶ (@_MarcusD3_) June 1, 2024
Asked about it after the game, Carter refused to talk about it.
Chennedy Carter on the sequence with Caitlin Clark in the 3rd quarter: “I ain’t answering no Caitlin Clark questions.”
— Matthew Byrne (@MatthewByrne1) June 1, 2024
Full clip: pic.twitter.com/4bRnyXgPjV
This led to a lot of reactions, both from within and outside the WNBA. Here is a sampling.
• Clark’s postgame reaction: “Yeah, I wasn’t expecting that. But it’s just like, respond, calm down and let your play do the talking. It is what it is. It’s a physical game, go make the free throw and then execute on offense. Feel like that’s what we did.”
• Clark made the free throw on the foul in what ended up being a one-point game.
• Chicago rookie and long-time Clark rival Angel Reese got some criticism for standing up and cheering the play on the Sky sidelines.
• For a lot of fans — especially Clark/Fever fans — this was seen as the latest in a long line of overly physical play Clark has had to deal with this season.
• Fever coach Christi Sides seemed to agree with those fans in er reaction on social media to the play.
This is unacceptable @wnba
— Christie Sides (@ChristieSides) June 1, 2024
When will the consistent complaints be heard?!? Something has to be done! https://t.co/QVf1vHA5l4
• Draymond Green also took to social media and said Indiana needs to go get an enforcer.
Draymond says the Indiana Fever should “invest in an enforcer” after seeing teams go after Caitlin Clark 👀 pic.twitter.com/vVlnY2VN2u
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 2, 2024
• Jake Paul weighed in as well.
Hating on Caitlin Clark is hating on opportunity for an entire sport
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) June 1, 2024
• A lot of commentators want to see this as an example of the physicality and treatment Clark has gotten since coming in the league. However, anyone who has watched the WNBA knows Carter plays a physical game and isn’t afraid to mix it up — this is not a one-off situation for her. This is a physical player doing what she’s done before, and that includes making a bad decision about when to mix it up. It was an uncalled for foul (and I would have said a Flagrant), but it’s not something where Carter was way out of character.
• Clark reacted to the physicality she has seen this way: “I feel like I’m just at the point where you accept it and don’t retaliate. Just let them hit you, be what it is, don’t let it get in your head and know it’s coming. I think at this point, I know I’m gonna take a couple hard shots a game, and that’s what it is. I’m trying not to let it bother me, and just stay in the game and stay in what’s important.”