Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark was heard using expletives while arguing with a referee during Wednesday night's home game against the Golden State Valkyries. The incident occurred in the second quarter after a no-call when Clark drove to the basket and appeared to be fouled by Valkyries veteran Kiah Stokes.
Moments after the play, Clark turned toward the official and was heard yelling, indicating her belief that the Fever were not receiving a comparable whistle to their opponents. Despite the heated exchange, Clark was not assessed a technical foul.
Clark played limited minutes in the first half, finishing with two points on 1-of-5 shooting. Coach Stephanie White had previously indicated Clark would be on a minutes restriction as she recovers from an injury. She appeared to limp during the second quarter and briefly headed to the locker room but returned to the bench before halftime.
Prior to the game, Clark addressed the intense media scrutiny surrounding her. "There's gonna be people that love you, there's gonna be people that hate you. It probably means you're doing something right. None of that really affects me," Clark stated. "You know, not every one of you is gonna like me, and I understand that, and you know, that's okay. ... You gotta have thick skin to be in a position like this, and I think I have that too."
Clark returned to the starting lineup for the second half. The Indiana Fever lost to the Golden State Valkyries.