The GIST: Approximately a quarter of the way through the WNBA season, women’s basketball continues to be a hot topic. However, the recent discussion centered around a controversial hard foul on Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark. Let’s break it down.
The foul: The incident occurred during the third quarter of the intense 71-70 victory by the Fever over the Chicago Sky this past Saturday. Chennedy Carter of the Sky pushed Clark to the floor away from the ball, resulting in no immediate review or punishment during the game. Subsequently, the league reviewed the play and handed Carter a flagrant 1 foul the following day. As it was her first offense of the season, the 4th overall pick in the 2020 draft will not face suspension but will receive points under the league’s flagrant system. In addition, Angel Reese of the Sky was fined $1K for not speaking to the media post-game.
The discussion: The incident on Saturday came after Clark’s previous remarks about the physicality in the WNBA, where she expressed feeling “hammered.” Her coach, Christie Sides, echoed her sentiments, deeming the foul by Carter as “unacceptable” and mentioning ongoing submission of such plays for league review.
On the other hand, Carter took to social media after avoiding questions about the play during the press conference.
The bottom line: These incidents sparked conversations within the basketball community and beyond, but both Clark and Reese, prominent rookie figures attracting new attention to the WNBA, have stayed focused on the game. Despite being knocked down, they rise again.
