Caitlin Clark Talks Smack, Gets Technical After Nailing Three-Pointer vs. Storm

May 31, 2024 Jimm Sallivan

There have been plenty of people making a run at Caitlin Clark during her rookie season in the WNBA, as defenses hone in on the Indiana Fever’s star guard as the focal point of their defensive game plan.

Clark hasn’t been one to back down from the competition, however, and after draining a big three-pointer against the Seattle Storm on Thursday night, she could be seen getting face-to-face with one of her opponents.

While walking back on defense after her deep three, Clark could be seen jawing back and forth with Storm’s Victoria Vivians. The pair got up close and in each other’s faces before Aliyah Boston swooped in and pulled her teammate out of the situation.

SPICY CAITLIN CLARK HAS ARRIVED 🌶️🚨

pic.twitter.com/FtZ8VaLYpL

— Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) May 30, 2024

Clark didn’t look too pleased with Vivians as she turned to head back down the court, and they appeared to bump shoulders before being separated.

Officials assessed Vivians and Clark with double technical fouls and play resumed shortly after. Thursday’s incident marks the second technical of the season for Indiana’s prized rookie, having picked up her first in a game against the Connecticut Sun on May 20.

8 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Basketball Fans Question Caitlin Clark’s Team USA Snub for 2024 Summer Olympics

Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark, who starred at Iowa and is a key reason for the boom in popularity of women's basketball over the last couple of years, was reportedly left off Team USA's roster for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

There's an argument to be made that Clark would be at the end of the bench if she did make Team USA this summer, but it's still a curious decision to leave her off the roster given her draw in media.

While Clark has been up-and-down in her first season as a professional, she brings eyeballs to the television and the arena, as exhibited by the sellout crowd of 20,333 in attendance to see Clark and the Fever take on the Washington Mystics on Friday night at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The sellout crowd was the largest WNBA crowd in 17 years.

Largest WNBA crowd in 17 years—20,333—sees Fever beat Mystics, 85-83.
Caitlin Clark makes 7 threes, scores 30 points, adds 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals.
The two teams are a combined 3-20. pic.twitter.com/zqlNMMXyht
— Keith Murphy (@MurphyKeith) June 8, 2024

Clark had her best game of her rookie season in front of that crowd, scoring 30 points on seven made threes, while adding eight rebounds, six assists and four steals.

Clark joins Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale as notable snubs for the summer Olympics roster. Here's who Team USA will be bringing instead, which is undoubtedly a loaded group.

The Team USA Women's Basketball Olympics roster has been announced, per @ShamsCharania and @joevardon 🇺🇸
A'ja Wilson
Breanna Stewart
Diana Taurasi
Alyssa Thomas
Brittney Griner
Napheesa Collier
Jewell Loyd
Kelsey Plum
Jackie Young
Kahleah Copper
Sabrina Ionescu
Chelsea Gray pic.twitter.com/222FOOhAAh
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 8, 2024

On television draw alone, many expected Clark to make the roster. Now that she hasn't, basketball fans across social media are outraged.

Christian Laettner made the Dream Team. Caitlin Clark can’t make the women’s Olympic basketball team? What mostly pays for the Olympics — oh wait — revenue generated from broadcasting partners. As in TV. As in Caitlin is TV GOLD. Opportunity wasted.
— Colin Cowherd (@ColinCowherd) June 8, 2024

Caitlin Clark has been left off the Olympic women’s basketball roster. Women’s basketball hates its fans and doesn’t want to grow their game. That’s the only conclusion you can draw from their treatment of Clark. She would quadruple their viewership by herself. No brainer.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) June 8, 2024

I don’t know enough about USA women’s Olympic basketball to know if Caitlin Clark’s omission is a snub. I do know that, right now, she would be the only reason I would remotely care about USA women’s Olympic basketball. https://t.co/IAP8bulQXg
— Alexi Lalas (@AlexiLalas) June 8, 2024

I really want to hear the decision making behind leaving Caitlin Clark off the USA Basketball roster. Because I can’t fathom an explanation that makes sense.
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) June 8, 2024

Leaving Caitlin Clark off Olympic team is terrible for NBC Sports, which is paying billions for U.S. TV rights.
She would have absolutely super-charged Olympic TV audiences the way she did in college and now in the pros.
Short-sighted doesn't begin to describe this decision. https://t.co/bRLVA6ZEbB
— Michael McCarthy (@MMcCarthyREV) June 8, 2024

Caitlin Clark being left off the women’s Olympic team shows you how dumb their marketing team is.
It’s laughable at this point.
— Jake “JBOY” Crain (@JakeCrain_) June 8, 2024

4 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Fever’s Attendance Surpasses Last Season’s Record Total After Just Five Games

The Indiana Fever have been the hottest ticket in women's basketball, having hosted the largest audiences in the WNBA throughout the first few weeks of the season.

Since drafting former Iowa Hawkeyes superstar Caitlin Clark with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft, the Fever have been selling tickets at unprecedented rates. In fact, the Fever's home attendance through five games this season has already surpassed their total home attendance from last year, according to Front Office Sports.

Data from Across the Timeline indicates that Indiana is averaging a league-high 16,571 fans at their home games. They've already had a total attendance of 82,857 in their first five home games, which is more than their 2023 season total of 81,336, which was the second lowest in the league.

No team in the WNBA averages more fans home or away than the Indiana Fever.
Caitlin Clark's Fever has already broken its franchise attendance record set last season—in just five games.
More ⬇️
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) June 4, 2024

The impact Clark has had on ticket sales is undeniable. The Fever averaged an attendance of 4,066.5 fans last year, a figure which has more than quadrupled in '24.

That impact extends to the road, too. The Los Angeles Sparks hosted the league's largest crowd at a single game this season when 19,103 fans poured into the Crypto.com Arena for a matchup against Clark and the rest of the Fever.

In fact, in all but one of the Fever's road games this year, the home team has had their highest attendance of the season. The only exception was the Las Vegas Aces, as their home opener had a slightly larger turnout than their matchup against Indiana. At road games this year, an average of 15,315 fans have turned up to see the Fever, coming in well ahead of the Sparks (11,104).

2 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Sky’s Chennedy Carter Disses Caitlin Clark on Social Media After Fever Loss

Chicago Sky's Chennedy Carter caught some flack from WNBA fans on Saturday after she issued a hard foul on Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.

The foul was originally issued an away-from-ball foul, but it was later changed to a Flagrant 1 after a WNBA review. Carter refused to answer any questions about Clark in her post-game media session, so it's unclear what caused the incident.

Carter didn't keep her silence for too long regarding the situation, as she posted a comment about Clark on Threads on Sunday. The comment was clearly a dig at Clark, who was the No. 1 WNBA draft pick in April.

"Beside three point shooting what does she bring to the table man," Carter wrote.

pic.twitter.com/ulVucPtoMB
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) June 2, 2024

There seems to be some tension on and off the court now between some of the players.

The foul itself sparked a frenzy on social media, with Fever coach Christie Sides even adding her thoughts on the "unacceptable" foul. She even posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, asking for something to be done about fouls like this.

This is unacceptable @wnba
When will the consistent complaints be heard?!? Something has to be done! https://t.co/QVf1vHA5l4
— Christie Sides (@ChristieSides) June 1, 2024

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Caitlin Clark Talks Smack, Gets Technical After Nailing Three-Pointer vs. Storm

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