‘It needs to stop!’ Fever coach, GM have seen enough hard fouls on Caitlin Clark

She’s the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft and back-to-back National Player of the Year. She and the Fever are helping to sell out opposing venues, having teams move to bigger arenas and setting TV records.

All of that puts a target on her back.

Clark was expecting a more physical game when she transitioned to the WNBA. In some cases, though, Clark has been the subject of what could be flagrant fouls.

An instance in Indiana’s win over Chicago on Saturday is a prime example: Sky guard Chennedy Carter and Clark exchanged words following a Fever possession when Clark got a rebound over her. After Carter made a midrange shot on the next possession, she went to guard Clark on the inbound and shoulder-checked the Fever rookie to the ground.

“I wasn’t expecting that,” Clark said. “But it’s just, ‘Respond, calm down and let your play do the talking.’ It is what it is.”

Despite Fever players’ call for a review, Carter was not assessed a technical or flagrant foul. She was charged with an away-from-the-ball common foul, which resulted in one free throw for the Fever and possession. Clark made that free throw, and the Fever ended up winning by one point, 71-70.

“It is what it is,” Clark said. “I feel like I’m just at the point where I accept it, like, just let them hit you, be what it is, don’t let them get inside your head, and know it’s coming. I think at this point, I know I’m gonna take a couple hard shots a game. And that’s what it is, I’m trying not to let it bother me.

“… Usually it’s the second person that gets caught if you retaliate or something,” she added. “So I’m just trying to stay in the game, and focus on my team, and focus on what’s important.”

Carter refused to answer questions about Clark when prompted postgame.

This is not the only instance of Clark not getting calls, and Saturday’s interaction was enough for Fever GM Lin Dunn, who posted on X to call it out.

“There’s a difference between tough defense and unnecessary — targeting actions!” Dunn posted. “It needs to stop! The league needs to ‘cleanup’ the crap! That’s NOT who this league is!!”

Clark has frequently went without getting calls, including one when Storm forward Ezi Magbegor blocked Clark’s shot so hard she hit her on the top of the head on May 22, leading Clark to fall to the ground in pain. Coach Christie Sides picked up a technical foul on May 30 in the Fever’s rematch against the Storm for arguing with officials about a non-call when Clark went through a lot of contact to shoot a layup.

Clark already has three technical fouls on the season — two for arguing with referees about calls and one for jawing with Storm guard Victoria Vivians. If she were to have retaliated against Carter, she may have gotten called for her third in three games and fourth overall. Once players get seven technical fouls in a season, they’re suspended without pay for one game.

More:Caitlin Clark jaws with Victoria Vivians, picks up third technical foul of the season

While Clark is trying to avoid getting involved in these skirmishes, Sides is also hoping the league will start calling fouls she and her staff see being missed.

When asked about Clark continuously getting fouled hard and not getting the calls, Sides paused and quietly said, “I’m trying to not get fined,” before praising Clark’s demeanor.

“We’re just gonna keep sending these possessions to the league, 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,” Sides said.

“I’m 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 a foul call. She’s continuing to fight through that, and I appreciate that from her.”