Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White has condemned WNBA officials after star player Caitlin Clark endured several hard uncalled hits, including a fist to the throat, during Wednesday night's 111-109 home loss to the Phoenix Mercury. Clark exited the game in the third quarter with a back injury.
White calls out 'cheap shots' and inconsistent officiating
White did not directly link Clark's injury to the no-calls, but asserted that the game exemplified a pattern of Clark being officiated differently from other WNBA players. 'We have a generational talent and a WNBA superstar who had two cheap shots right there that weren't called,' White said in the postgame news conference. 'And I just say, again, [it's] absolutely unacceptable.'
In the second quarter, Clark drove into the lane and fell on her side after contact. Mercury forwards DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas scrambled for the ball, and Thomas appeared to knee Clark in the groin and then push her closed fist into Clark's neck. Clark completed a pass to teammate Aliyah Boston as Thomas rose and stepped over her.
Flagrant foul review deemed insufficient
Less than a minute later, Mercury forward Valeriane Ayayi fouled Clark as she attempted a three-pointer. Clark landed on Ayayi's foot upon descending from her jump. White argued that the foul should have been upgraded to a flagrant for restricting Clark's landing space, but officials upheld it as a common foul after review.
'No 1, you gotta call it. It's absolutely egregious and utterly disrespectful,' White said. 'And then No 2, you're coming in here aware of what happened two nights ago, and that shit still happens? Absolutely unacceptable.' White referenced the Fever and Mercury's Monday night matchup, which the Fever won 86-77, a game featuring six technical fouls and one ejection.
Clark's injury history and Fever's season struggles
Clark had 19 points before leaving the game in the third quarter with a back injury. She missed a game last month due to back issues. After missing most of last season with groin and ankle injuries, the 2024 Rookie of the Year is averaging 21.2 points and 8.2 assists this season. The Fever, entering the season as title contenders, have struggled with consistency: they lead the WNBA in offensive scoring (92.1 points per game) but are third-worst in defense (88.9) and have allowed 100 points in seven of 18 games.
WNBA officiating under scrutiny this season
WNBA officiating has been under the spotlight this season. Following outcry over physicality and inconsistent referee decisions last year, a league taskforce was assembled, spearheaded by a group of coaches including White. Officials have been instructed this season to consistently enforce existing rules, especially regarding freedom of movement, leading to a sharp increase in foul calls early in the season.
'We spent all offseason looking at officiating, and I still say the one thing that we keep asking for is consistency,' White said. '[Clark] is not called the same way as everybody else is called. The fist in the throat is crazy. It's crazy. It's dangerous. ... When you have these things continue to happen time and time and time again, eventually it gets frustrating.'
