Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark was injured Wednesday in a 111-109 loss that saw her exit in the middle of the game, and head coach Stephanie White didn’t hold back her opinion on the way the referees handled the physical contest.
In the second quarter, Clark was struck in the throat by Mercury star Alyssa Thomas when attempting to go for a loose ball. She fell to the court in visible pain. Thomas also appeared to step over her. No foul was called on the play.
Clark eventually exited the game in the third quarter after tweaking her back. The injury occurred after Phoenix forward Valeriane Ayayi failed to provide Clark with a clear landing space on a 3-point attempt. Clark landed on Ayayi’s foot and fell to the ground, grabbing her back. A personal foul was called on Ayayi, but referees did not upgrade the play to a flagrant foul for a reckless closeout following a video review.
Fever head coach Stephanie White was incensed in her postgame interview, blasting the officiating as “dangerous,” “unacceptable” and “egregious.”
Here’s what the Fever boss had to say on the matter:
“ It’s absolutely egregious and utterly disrespectful,” White said. “You’re coming in here aware of what happened two nights ago, and that still happens? Absolutely unacceptable. Absolutely unacceptable. And the reckless closeout that they actually review, and the foot still comes down on top of the shooter’s foot, that wasn’t upgraded? Absolutely disrespectful…. they were so egregious. I mean, the fist in the throat is crazy. It’s crazy. It’s dangerous.”
Despite being brought to the officials’ attention at halftime, the play was never reviewed or penalized during the game, a reality White said she has grown tired of watching as opponents consistently test Clark with overly physical play.
“We have a generational talent and a WNBA superstar who had two cheap shots right there that weren’t called. And I just say again, absolutely unacceptable.”
Clark played 20 minutes in the game before her exit, racking up 19 points and eight assists on 5-of-9 shooting, including a 3-for-4 mark from 3. Had she stayed on the court without the injury, the Fever likely would have won the game.
Stephanie White accuses WNBA of bias in how officials referee Caitlin Clark
Stephanie White openly questioned what she sees as a distinct double standard in the league, wondering why there appears to be a bias against Caitlin Clark while other WNBA superstars routinely draw whistles when they are hooked or held.
“We spent all offseason looking at officiating. All offseason. And I still say the one thing that we keep asking for is consistency. She is not called the same way everybody else is called,” White said.
From White’s standpoint, the expectation for the referees is simple: the rules need to be enforced with as much consistency as possible. Because in today’s era of instant replay and nonstop fan debate, moments like that get dissected from every angle. And that’s something the league simply cannot afford to lose.
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