Remember the Indiana Fever’s loss to the Las Vegas Aces on June 22? It was one of the most controversial games of the season, not because of the result, but due to yet another questionable officiating call that derailed the Fever’s potential late-game comeback. With under a minute left and Indiana trailing by five, AB collided with Jackie Young in what appeared to be a clear offensive foul on Young. But instead, the foul was called on Boston. And even after HC challenged the call, the referees upheld it. And that decision led to two free throws from Young, who extended the Aces’ lead and sealed the game. While it’s been a couple of games since that night, one thing hasn’t changed!
Yes, it’s officiating, but this time, AB wasn’t fighting against refs alone! The moment unfolded during a recent matchup against the Atlanta Dream, where the Fever cruised to a 99–82 win. Kelsey Mitchell led the charge with 25 points, Boston chipped in 19, Caitlin Clark added 12, and Sophie Cunningham notched her first-ever double-double in Indianapolis with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Still, it wasn’t the stats that stole the show – it was a familiar string of questionable foul calls against Boston in the fourth quarter. At the 3:08 mark, Boston was hit with an offensive foul, followed by a turnover and then a shooting foul, which led to her fouling out with six personal fouls. The final whistle gave Naz Hillmon two free throws, trimming the deficit to 87–75. Although the Fever’s lead remained safe, Boston’s frustration was clear. “I didn’t even touch her,” she could be seen saying as she walked off the court to a chorus of supportive cheers and even standing ovations from fans.
aliyah says “I didn’t even touch her” and caitlin is right there ready to argue with the ref lmfaooo https://t.co/GpDF8jYtTZ pic.twitter.com/v6u59IzujO
— correlation (@nosyone4) July 12, 2025
And while in the Aces game she had to endure A’ja Wilson’s sharp jab – “Flopping, that’s all you do,” – this time, the response was quite different. There was a reason for that, too, as in this recent game, Brittney Griner had executed the exact same move against Boston, and that play went uncalled. Yet, when Boston tried the same thing on the other end, she was hit with a foul. So, it’s no surprise the entire Fever squad, and their fans, stood firmly behind her.
But CC? She took it a step further. As Aliyah argued with officials, CC stepped forward, right behind her, fighting for her teammate and risking a technical foul herself. And that meant something deeper. After all, it was AB who, during the season opener against the Chicago Sky, had stepped in between Clark and Angel Reese during a heated moment, absorbing the tech and fine herself. Clark had even offered to pay the fine, but AB refused. So yes, this moment felt personal, like a full-circle moment.
While the decision stood and Boston was subbed out for Natasha Howard, her impact on the game remained loud and clear: 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists on 5-of-10 shooting, 1-of-1 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 8-of-8 from the free-throw line. But perhaps the bigger highlight was Clark stepping up for her teammate, not with a shot or a stat, but with the same loyalty and fire that AB had once shown her. That fire, though? It has always been there.
Caitlin Clark’s spark has no benchmark!
Whether she’s playing or not, Caitlin Clark has always found herself under the spotlight for arguing with referees, and it’s nothing new. Remember Iowa’s first-round win over Holy Cross in March 2024? Cameras even caught her dad shouting from the stands for Caitlin to “Stop” as she was berating officials mid-game. But it’s never just about who’s watching, Clark’s fire has been relentless since her earliest days in school.
Her first-grade teacher, Diane Murphy, recalled how Caitlin turned Rocket Math, a self-paced academic program, into a full-blown classroom competition. “She wanted to beat everybody’s level,” Murphy said. And it seems that mindset never really changed, as even her high school coach, Kristen Meyer, admitted, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Caitlin embarrassed.”.
Jun 27, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) cheers for her team during the first quarter against the Dallas Wings at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Well, we’ve seen it at Iowa, too, and now we’re seeing it in the W. It’s always like whether she’s logging minutes or not, Clark finds ways to inject herself into the game. Just look at her behavior during a Fever vs. Sparks matchup where she was sidelined with an injury. It was when a disputed call lit her fuse, and she quickly rushed to the edge of the court, shoulder-to-shoulder with head coach Stephanie White, to argue with officials.
Even the broadcasters couldn’t help but react. “The competitive nature of Caitlin Clark does not go away even when she is not playing,” one observed. And it wasn’t just them as Sparks guard Kelsey Plum also joked about Clark’s intensity, pointing at her sneaker crossing the sideline and teasing the ref, “Hey, T-her up!” So, that’s the kind of fiery on-court personality Clark brings. So, is it really a surprise that the star was simply staying true to her nature?
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