Can The Trolls Please Be Normal About Caitlin Clark?
There was a lot of drama between the Fever and Sun
Caitlin Clark is a superstar and mega ratings draw for the WNBA, but her most passionate supporters are the worst.
Tempers flared in the third quarter of the Indiana Fever’s win over the Sun at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Connecticut guard Jacy Sheldon poked Clark in the eye, and after some pushing, Marina Mabrey ran Clark into the ground. After the dust-up, Tina Charles, who had only gotten in Clark’s face, Mabrey and Clark received technical fouls, and Sheldon received a flagrant 1.
Tensions continued to boil over with a minute left in the game after a hard foul from Sophie Cunningham on Sheldon, which resulted in the ejection of both Cunningham and Sun guard Lindsay Allen. The referee pool report on these incidents provided little insight.
The pushback on social media was quite frankly disgusting. The trolls and Clark’s most passionate supporters flooded Sheldon and Mabrey’s social media feeds with harmful and offensive comments. The worst engagement accounts continue to perpetuate the false narrative that other WNBA players hate Clark.
It’s as if these people have never watched a basketball game. Are they paying attention to the physicality in this year’s NBA Finals? Do the Indiana Pacers hate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander when they rough him up? Only as much as there are teams out there competing.
Fever head coach Stephanie White correctly identified the real issue.
“I think it was pretty obvious that stuff was brewing. When officials don’t get control of the ballgame, when they allow that stuff to happen, and it’s been happening all season long,” White told reporters, per Fever video. “It’s not just this game. It’s been happening all season long. This is what happens. You got competitive women, who are the best in the world at they do. And when you allow them to play physical and you allow these things to happen, they’re going to compete. And they’re going to have their teammates’ backs. It’s exactly what you expect out of fierce competition. I started talking to the officials in the first quarter and we knew this was going to happen. You could tell it was going to happen. They got to get in control of it. They go to be better.”
Clark avoided addressing any specifics about the incident and only wanted to talk basketball, but Sun forward Olivia Nelson-Ododa offered a similar perspective to her former head coach.
"Obviously, there was a physical game tonight. I think when things aren't managed well to begin with that it tends to get out of hand,” she said, per ESPN’s Alexa Philippou. “I feel like a lot of stuff was escalating throughout the game, and that's what happens when you don't make the proper calls or officiate the game and manage it the right way.”
These complaints about WNBA officiating are not new. Los Angeles Sparks star Kelsey Plum went on a profanity-laced rant last week, and anyone who’s watched women’s basketball at the college or pro level knows how bad officiating can be.
White pointed out how the level of player talent increased over time and the officiating needs to do the same. That’s the conversation that needs to be happening, and the one that Clark likely only cares about.
The Fever star called out those who criticized DiJonai Carrington for her eye poke in last year’s WNBA playoffs. Clark has even called out the “concerning” ways college teams defend her, highlighting how smarter pro players and coaches are at game planning against her. That’s why she bulked up last offseason and has found crafty ways to get to her shot.
Clark is an immensely talented player, but that doesn’t mean others need to worship her every second they’re on the court. The 23-year-old wants to compete with the best, and that’s what she’s getting. Teams are playing this way against her because that’s what it takes to slow down her high level of production.
These incidents are non-issues and merely showcase the world's best players competing against each other. But time and time again, the worst people on the internet treat these things like they’re a crime against humanity, and I just wish it would stop. Also, if you’re still spelling her name like “Caitlyn,” you don’t deserve an opinion.
Thank you for reading until the end! Since I’m a big K-pop and pro wrestling fan, I like to recommend a song or match at the end of every post. My recommendation is to listen to “Icarus” by ARTMS.
