Caitlin Clark went berserk during the Indiana Fever’s game against the Golden State Valkyries on Wednesday night after being left incensed by a controversial no-call.
The Fever superstar lost her cool with a WNBA referee who penalized her teammate Aliyah Boston for a foul on Golden State’s Veronica Burton, just moments after she was not awarded a foul of her own.
Minutes earlier, Clark had made a layup while falling to the ground after being challenged by Kiah Stokes, yet the referee chose not to call a foul.
She therefore exploded when Burton was awarded one shortly after, waving her arms animatedly before racing over to the official and shouting in her face.
Following her angry outburst, Clark limped down the tunnel to receive some treatment, before returning to the Indiana bench minutes later.
The 24-year-old has been at the center of fierce controversy in the WNBA of late, with Phoenix Mercury star Alyssa Thomas recently punching her in the throat during a game against the Fever.
Caitlin Clark went berserk during the Indiana Fever’s game against the Golden State Valkyries
The shocking incident sparked outrage across the country as fans argued that Clark, who has been subjected to aggressive tactics by players since being drafted by Indiana in 2024, is not receiving protection on the court from WNBA officials.
On Sunday night, she was also floored by Las Vegas Aces player Chelsea Gray in an incident that was reviewed by referees for a ‘hostile act’.
Clark tried to defend Gray during the second quarter of her team’s 109-75 victory, but as she tried to stop her from getting her shot away, the Aces star appeared to use her left elbow to strike her midriff.
The incident led referees to review the play for a potential ‘hostile act’, which infuriated Gray and coach Becky Hammon, who protested the decision to review.
Clark remained on the floor as the review process played out and, when she eventually returned to her feet, she was left holding her back having recently dealt with injury issues.
The referees eventually ruled the play a common foul for Clark, which sparked a furious reaction from the Fever star.
After the game, the 33-year-old Gray posted a vile racist message she received to her Instagram story following the clash with Clark.
‘People act like we just make this s*** up,’ she wrote in her caption. ‘And the audacity to tell us as athletes to “shut up and dribble.”‘
The Indiana Fever superstar was left incensed by a referee calling for a foul moments after she was not awarded one herself
Clark was recently punched in the throat by Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas
She also appeared to get an elbow to the midriff from Las Vegas star Chelsea Gray on Sunday
Hilton Grand Vacations has since fired an unnamed male employee who is accused of sending the disgusting slur to her on social media.
Gray’s post came after Phoenix’s Thomas faced similar abuse in the wake of her own run-in with Clark last month.
In the days that followed, Thomas said she was racially abused online and received threats toward herself and her family – including her children.
‘Our families are being threatened,’ Thomas, who is Black, told reporters earlier this month. ‘Kids are being threatened. People are sending racial slurs and all types of stuff.
‘There’s a difference between trolling and there’s a difference between hatred,’ she continued. ‘The hatred that we’re experiencing over a play that was, honestly, a complete accident, no one even knew what happened, it’s just unfortunate.’
She also directed frustration at the WNBA and its commissioner, Cathy Engelbert, whom she criticized for being silent on the issue.
‘The league has to do better in this instance,’ Thomas said. ‘Honestly, I didn’t even know I was being suspended until 10 minutes before it was being put on social media. We still have yet to hear anything from Cathy.
‘It’s no surprise. You can see what’s being said on social media. It’s unfortunate, but as usual, she remains silent. That’s unfortunate when our lives are being threatened.’
