Caitlin Clarke She didn’t get the foul call she was looking for during the Indiana Fever’s 99-88 loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Friday.
After the game, Clarke recounted the incidents in which he Hit by opposing players But the referee did not blow the whistle. Clark said those moments had an emotional impact on her and she hopes she can handle it better.
“I thought I got fouled a couple of times in the second half on mid-range jump shots,” Clarke said. “It happens. Sometimes they get calls, sometimes they don’t. That’s just the way it is. I think I settled a little bit too much for the mid-range jump shots, but I thought I got bumped a little bit, and I was honestly trying to shot-fake them to get fouled.
“I mean, I think I could have done a little better job at controlling my emotions.”
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Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark smiles toward the team bench after delivering a pass into the basket that led to a score in the second half against the Dallas Wings, Sept. 1, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
But Clark said he doesn’t think his feelings need change.
“I think there’s a limit and sometimes your passion, your emotions can get the better of you,” Clarke said. “But it’s not something that I or any of our team members would ever want to change.”
At one point in the game during the third quarter, Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier tackled Clark to the ground. When Clark tried to score in the paint, Collier’s arms struck Clark’s upper head and shoulder.
The officials did not call a foul on Collier, and Clark lay on the floor with her arms outstretched.
Clark was in no hurry to return, and the Lynx quickly moved up the court and scored. This score put the Fever in a 10-point hole they never got out of.
Clarke coach Christy Sides also spoke about the incident after the game.
“When she gets upset or angry — that’s what we’re working on, trying to figure out how to get through those moments,” Sides said. “She has to learn that, in those moments, I need my point guard to play with a cool head, let us do what we need to do offensively, and if it’s not a foul call like you thought, you have to come back.”
“All our actions have a reaction, and we have to make sure we don’t put ourselves in a worse position in moments like these.”
Since coming to the WNBA, Clark has had to quickly regulate her emotions regarding hard fouls.
Last week, Chicago Sky player Diamond DeShields blasted Clark to the floor for a foul that was later upgraded to a Flagrant-1. After the game, DeShields posted a screenshot of her notifications list on Instagram, which included several hateful comments from a user.
Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark reacts after a flagrant foul by Diamond DeShields of the Chicago Sky at Wintrust Arena in Chicago on August 30, 2024. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Clark took an infamous illegal hip check from Chicago Sky forward Chennedy Carter on June 1. Carter refused to answer questions about the incident in the postgame press conference, but used her social media to repeatedly criticize Clark.
Sky rookie Angel Reese struck Clark in the head with her hand while attempting to intercept a pass during a game on June 16.
Former NBA All-Star Joakim Noah believes the Fever should address this issue by signing a player who is capable of counter-attacking overly physical aggressive opponents such as Clark.
Diamond DeShields of the Chicago Sky will take on Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever on August 30, 2024 at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
“If I owned the Indiana Fever, I would have an actual enforcer there 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 is being picked on by opposing players because they know the difference-making talent she brings to the court.
“Sometimes I think he’s being called out because he’s such a talented guy,” he said. “But at the end of the day, we’re in the business of winning games, so if I’m the owner (of the Indiana Fever), I’m bringing a real promoter in there.”
However, Noah believes the physical therapy Clark has received has been great for the WNBA.
“I think it’s great. I think it’s all entertainment,” Noah said when asked about the foul against Chicago.
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Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever reacts during the second half against the Washington Mystics on July 10, 2024 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
ESPN broadcaster Holly Rowe expressed similar thoughts to Noah. an interview Talks were held with Fox News Digital last month.
“I think it’s good for the sport,” Rowe said. “I like it because it’s supposed to be salacious, so it’s competitive, so it’s sporty.”
Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barclay I said it Against the players who downplayed the positive attention the WNBA has received this year since Clark’s freshman season during her appearance on the “Bill Simmons Podcast” on Wednesday.
“These women, and I’m a fan of the WNBA, Caitlin Clark couldn’t have made matters worse if she wanted to,” Barkley said. Display“This girl is unbelievable,” Barkley said. “The amount of attention she gets in college and the pros, the looks, and there’s so much petty jealousy among these women, and you say to yourself, ‘Hey, what’s going on here?'”
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