Even Indiana Fever general manager Lin Dunn was among those who were frustrated after Caitlin Clark was shoved to the ground by Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter in the third quarter of Saturday’s game.
“There’s a difference between tough defense and unnecessary — targeting actions!” Dunn, a longtime college and WNBA coach who was named the interim general manager in 2022 and permanent exec ahead of last season, wrote in a post on X. “It needs to stop! The league needs to “ cleanup” the crap!
“That’s NOT who this league is!!”
With 15 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Carter connected on a jumper and then shoved her shoulder into Clark’s left side before the Fever rookie could receive the ensuing inbound pass.
Clark fell to the court and looked around at the referees as a foul was called, leading to a free throw and the Fever getting the ball for a final shot in the frame en route to their 71-70 win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. She told ESPN in between quarters that it wasn’t a “basketball play,” and added postgame to reporters that she didn’t want to retaliate and get called for anything — acknowledging that she “wasn’t expecting that.”
“I’m trying not to get fined,” Fever head coach Christie Sides told reporters postgame. “We’re just gonna keep sending these possessions to the league and these plays, and hopefully they’ll start taking a better look at some of the things that we see happening or we think is happening.
“Just more happy that Caitlin handled it the way she did. It’s tough to keep getting hammered the way she does, and to not get rewarded with free throws or just a foul called. She’s continuing to fight through them.”
Carter told reporters that she wasn’t going to respond to any questions about Clark.
Clark, who shot 4-for-11 from the field, finished with 11 points, and the Fever will attempt to record their first set of consecutive wins this season when they face the Liberty on Sunday at Barclays Center.