Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark has taken some lumps in her introduction to the WNBA — none more so than a flagrant foul in a one-point win on June 1 over the Chicago Sky.
The former University of Iowa star was body-blocked to the floor by Chicago's Chennedy Clark in a foul that resembled a hockey check more than a basketball play, but at the time was ruled a common foul by the officials.
"That's just not a basketball play," Clark said on the ESPN broadcast afterward.
On June 2, the WNBA upgraded the foul on Carter to a flagrant 1 after the league reviewed the video, ESPN reported. The WNBA reserves the right to upgrade a foul to flagrant after the game.
Carter was not fined or suspended for the play.
Sky head coach Teresa Weatherspoon said in a statement released June 3 and obtained by NBC Chicago that Carter "got caught up in the heat of the moment in an effort to win the game."
“She and I have discussed what happened and that it was not appropriate, nor is it what we do or who we are. Chennedy understands that there are better ways to handle situations on the court, and she will learn from this, as we all will,” Weatherspoon added.
The foul was only part of the drama in Indiana's 71-70 win over Chicago, which also featured a moment with Clark's college nemesis, former LSU star Angel Reese.
Here's what to know.
What was the foul Chennedy Carter committed on Caitlin Clark?
Clark was awaiting an inbounds pass after Carter made a basket in the third quarter when Carter lowered her right shoulder and smacked Clark to the floor.
What was Caitlin Clark's reaction to the foul?
Clark has faced physical play from opposing defenders all season in her rookie campaign after being the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft, but she was still surprised by the hard foul.
"Yeah, I wasn’t expecting it," she said in the postgame press conference. "But it’s just like, respond, calm down and let your play do the talking. It is what it is. It’s a physical game, go make the free throw and then execute on offense. Feel like that’s kind of what we did.”
Following the foul, Clark made a foul shot that proved to be crucial in the 71-70 victory. She finished with 11 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists in the win.
“I grew up playing basketball with the boys, so, like, it’s always been physical and feisty and that’s what it is,” Clark said in a June 2 pregame talk with the media. “You've got to find a way to hold your own.”
A day after the hard foul, Clark had her worst game in the WNBA with 3 points on 1-for-10 shooting in a lopsided loss to the New York Liberty on June 2.
Carter, known in her four-year WNBA career as a tenacious defender, refused to discuss the foul after the game.
She said in the postgame press conference that she would not be answering any questions about Clark.
Carter was not fined or suspended for the play. Points are given to players who commit flagrant fouls, and if they accumulate a certain amount, it results in suspensions, according to The Associated Press.
What happened after Carter’s foul on Clark?
Immediately after the foul, Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese leaped off the bench and started clapping.
Reese and Clark had a fierce rivalry during their college careers. Reese and LSU defeated Clark and Iowa in 2023 to win the national championship, with Reese flashing a “you can’t see me” gesture in front of her face that Clark had used earlier in the tournament.
Iowa got their revenge this past season when the Hawkeyes beat LSU in the Elite Eight behind a 41-point eruption by Clark. Iowa made it to a second straight national championship game before falling to undefeated South Carolina.
Reese, who had 8 points and 13 rebounds in the Sky's recent loss to the Fever, refused to speak with reporters after the game. She was fined $1,000 by the WNBA on June 2 after declining to make herself available to the media, NBC Sports reported.
What was the reaction by the basketball world to the play?
Indiana Fever head coach Christie Sides called it "unacceptable" that the play wasn't initially ruled a flagrant foul in a post on X following the game. Fever general manager Lin Dunn also weighed in.
"There's a difference between tough defense and unnecessary targeting actions!" she wrote on X. "It needs to stop! The league needs to 'cleanup' the crap! That’s NOT who this league is!!"
Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green, who is no stranger to physical defensive play himself, believes the Fever need to sign a hard-fouling player to protect Clark. Green has played a similar role for the Warriors in relation to superstar guard Steph Curry.
"Indiana better go invest in an enforcer...FAST!" he wrote in an Instagram comment.
Boxer and YouTube star Jake Paul even gave his take about the physical play Clark has faced as a rookie.
"Hating on Caitlin Clark is hating on opportunity for an entire sport," he wrote on X.
Former Indianapolis football star-turned-broadcaster Pat McAfee caused a stir on the internet on June 3 when he commented on the situation on ESPN's "Pat McAfee Show," describing Clark as a "cash cow" for the WNBA.
"I would like the media people that continue to say 'this rookie class, this rookie class, this rookie class' — nah, just call it for what it is. There's one white b---- for the Indiana team who is a superstar," he says in a clip posted by the Awful Announcing X account.
He adds moments later, "We have to hear people say we all like her because she's white. And she's only popular because the rest of the rookie class is doing what they're doing. Well, that's a bunch of bulls--- and we think the WNBA, more specifically their refs, need to stop trying to screw her over at every single turn."
McAfee later wrote a message on X expressing regret over the way he described Clark.
"I shouldn’t have used 'white b----' as a descriptor of Caitlin Clark. No matter the context.. even if we’re talking about race being a reason for some of the stuff happening.. I have way too much respect for her and women to put that into the universe," he wrote.
"My intentions when saying it were complimentary just like the entire segment but, a lot of folks are saying that it certainly wasn’t at all. That’s 100% on me and for that I apologize… I have sent an apology to Caitlin as well.
"Everything else I said… still alllllll facts," he added.
Clark’s arrival has already helped produce record television ratings for the WNBA, more national television exposure, historic endorsem*nt deals, sold-out games and increased scrutiny of WNBA salaries.
When will Chicago and Indiana play each other again?
The two teams will square off again June 16 in Indianapolis.
Scott Stump is a trending reporter and the writer of the daily newsletter This is TODAY (which you should subscribe to here!) that brings the day's news, health tips, parenting stories, recipes and a daily delight right to your inbox. He has been a regular contributor for TODAY.com since 2011, producing features and news for pop culture, parents, politics, health, style, food and pretty much everything else.
