Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever held on late to narrowly defeat Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky in a showdown featuring two of the top WNBA rookies. And as expected, the matchup included some intense in-game drama. However, it was Reese’s teammate, Chennedy Carter, who delivered a cheap shot to Clark, resulting in a Flagrant
With less than 20 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Carter hit a deep 2-point jumper. As the Fever attempted to inbound the ball to Clark, Carter shoulder-checked her, knocking Clark to the floor during a dead ball play. Carter also appeared to direct an expletive at Clark before delivering the blow. Reese was also seen jumping off the Sky bench and cheering in approval of the physical play.
That’s just not a basketball play, but I’ve gotta play through it,” Clark said in response to the hit from Carter during an interview on the ESPN broadcast. “That’s what basketball is about at this level. I thought we’ve been really physical.”
Chennedy Carter bumped Caitlin Clark for an away from the play foul 😳
"That's not a basketball play," Clark told ESPN on the broadcast. pic.twitter.com/udTMmWFVyn
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) June 1, 2024
Clark finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and six assists in the win for Indiana, which snapped a three-game losing streak. Carter posted a game-high 19 points off the bench for the Sky, while Reese added eight points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
Clark, the Iowa record-setting sensation and No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft, openly expressed her frustrations both during and after games, saying Thursday following a loss to the Seattle Storm that she “feel(s) like I’m getting hammered.” She has not held back in showing frustration with officiating early in her rookie campaign and already picked up three technical fouls in just 10 games. If Clark reaches eight technical fouls during the season it results in an automatic one-game suspension.
“I think everybody is physical with me,” Clark said Tuesday after a loss to the Los Angeles Sparks. “They get away with things that probably other people don’t get away with and it’s tough. But that’s just the fact of the matter, this is a very physical game. But yeah, you’re gonna get pressure, that’s just professional basketball. I think it is what it is honestly.”
Clark broke numerous records during her four-year college career at Iowa where she became a household name. Women’s college basketball reached incredible new heights in popularity this past season with star players, a list headlined by Clark. Iowa drew record TV ratings for the Elite Eight, Final Four and national championship games. Clark became the all-time scoring leader for any NCAA Division I player — men’s and women’s — while also surpassing Lynette Woodard as the all-time scoring leader in major women’s college basketball with 3,951 career points.
Be the first to comment