Caitlin Clark alarm bells as Indiana Fever links grow after ‘locker room issues’

Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever have been urged by fans to swoop for former Chicago Sky star Chennedy Carter despite the 26-year-old’s history of disciplinary issues

Caitlin Clark could be set to welcome ex-Chicago Sky star Chennedy Carter to Indiana Fever now the point guard is an unrestricted free agent.

However, Carter’s links to the Fever will set alarm bells ringing for the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year following a series of controversies. While the Sky have endured a tough time of late, with the franchise relieving old coach Teresa Weatherspoon and replacing her with Tyler Marsh, the 26-year-old’s departure from Chicago has come somewhat as a surprise.

The deadline for WNBA teams to extend qualifying offers to their pending free agents passed on Monday, with the Sky choosing not to retain Carter. While she has struggled to settle in the WNBA since breaking through in 2020, she did average 17.5 points per game last season and was seen to be close with Sky star Angel Reese.

Some Fever fans have now taken to social media to urge their franchise to swoop for Carter, with one supporter posting, “Chennedy Carter would be great on the Fever”, while another added: “Second chances can happen in Indiana.” Yet, past disciplinary issues, including a well-documented on-court tussle with Clark last season, could force the Indiana side to think twice.

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The Sky’s decision to part ways with Carter is believed to be driven by rumors of locker-room disharmony, as well as issues with her behavior.

A report in the Chicago Sun-Times stated that several players were unhappy with the dynamic created in the team last year due to Carter, a situation that went unchecked by former coach Weatherspoon. The outlet added that there was also a growing concern within the team that re-signing Carter would impact the Sky’s chances of landing other free agents.

It’s believed that Weatherspoon’s refusal to intervene in the drama even led to her firing after just one season in Chicago. While the issues surrounding Carter and the Chicago dressing room remain unclear, the player’s infamous altercation with Clark will no doubt trouble those who already believe adding Carter to the Fever locker room could spell disaster.

Clark and Carter were involved in an incident after the 22-year-old was nudged to the ground and taunted by Carter late in a tie between the Fever and Sky in June 2024. While the optics surrounding the squabble looked nasty, Clark was quick to distinguish any bad blood between the pair post-game.

“Basketball’s competitive. I get it. Sometimes your emotions get the best of you,” Clark said. “It happened to me multiple times throughout the course of my career. People are competitive. [Carter is] having a tremendous season. She’s been great off the bench for them.”

Carter played college ball for Texas A&M from 2017-2020. The Texas native was then drafted by the Atlanta Dream and traded to the Los Angeles Sparks for 2022 after being suspended for conduct detrimental to the team. She has also had stints in Turkey and China.

“Chennedy had an incredible season for us last year,” Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca said in a statement to the Chicago Sun-Times over her release. “She’s extremely talented and is a player that can impact the game at the highest level in our league. We absolutely appreciate all she did for our team last year. However, we’ve made changes to our staff and will make changes to our roster.”