“That’s just rude. Grow up,” is how Caitlin Clark addressed referee Michael Price on the courtside this season. While the rookie whistle always went against Clark, this year is no different. From the Angel Reese scuffle in the 2025 season opener to the Jacy Sheldon altercation, the league has rarely favored its topmost athlete during ref calls. So, when an upset Clark tried reasoning with the officials after landing the ball against Connecticut Sun in the third quarter, the official was quick to shrug it off with a pinch, enough to trigger the athlete. And the rest is history.
Things took an ugly turn when a calm Clark requested referee Price with, “Hey, you keep missing those. I didn’t touch it last time.” While cameras failed to catch what Price said, they captured Clark’s expressions. Within moments, Clark seemed to be in rage and yelled across the floor, “That has nothing to do with it. Are you f- kidding me?” Upset by the official’s statement. But her anger failed to douse the inconsistent calls against her teammates, Natasha Howard and Sophie Cunningham.
Days after things turned sour between Clark and the officials, cameras captured the Indiana Fever athlete on the sidelines again. The moment sparked debate across the league, reporting Clark’s candid reaction to Sue Bird about her stance toward WNBA officiating. This was during the Fever’s second consecutive game against the New York Liberty. The tipoff took place after wrapping up the 2025 All-Star weekend on Tuesday. The original Caitlin Clark style account shared a clip on X (former Twitter) with a caption that read, “Caitlin courtside eating her snacks in her gucci fit lol.”
caitlin courtside eating her snacks in her gucci fit lol pic.twitter.com/ZVTx5EwLTt
— Claire: Caitlin Clark Style (@caitlinclarksty) July 23, 2025
Clad in a white top and a high-collared Gucci jacket, the clip features Clark on the courtside. As she munched on the eatables, the clip focused on her gaze, which followed a referee who happened to cross the athlete. It was enough to set the tongues rolling. Fans quickly labeled it a “dirty look” directed at the official, yet another sign of the rising tension between the sophomore star and WNBA referees.
The inconsistent officiating has become the league’s identity over the past couple of years. ESPN also highlighted the fact that the WNBA is “facing increasing pressure” this season to address and combat the officiating issues. The result of bad calls is evident in the form of injuries, which have plagued the league, particularly the Indiana Fever. With their superstar, Caitlin Clark, sitting out most of the season due to pending injuries, the scenario poses a grave threat to the W. No wonder Clark is frustrated with the officials.
Fever head coach Stephanie White blatantly pointed out how other teams try turning the game into a physical play whenever Clark is involved. And the irritation caught on to Clark during the Sun game, where she addressed the referee with, “Unbelievable! How dare you say that to me!?…I’ll be calling too just to let you know ‘cuz that was embarrassing. That’s disappointing.” And soon after the incident, Clark took a hit to the groin and exited the court with just one minute remaining.
While the Indiana Fever officially confirmed her playing status as OUT due to a right groin injury, the incident highlights poor officiating against the athlete and her teammates. While Fever lost the recent game to Liberty 98-84, Clark could not help but express hatred for the officials, especially after everything went down during the Fever-Sun game. Now with a two-game losing streak under their belt, it will be exciting to watch if Indiana Fever can climb out of their misery or fall deeper in the pit.
Indiana Fever HC cleared the air surrounding Caitlin Clark
“I’m incredibly sad and disappointed to say I can’t participate… I have to rest my body.” Something cracked when Caitlin Clark announced her absence ahead of the 2025 All-Star games. As captain of Team Clark and a debutant in the 3-point contest held on the home turf, the news broke hearts and sent shockwaves across the nation.
While her comeback brought respite to the Indiana Fever locker room and ignited hope for fans, Clark’s injuries caused havoc. Her groin injury heightened during the game against the Connecticut Sun, urging her to leave the game midway. With her playing status updated as Out, there is no clear timeline of her return.
IndyStar sports reporter Chloe Peterson further clarified Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White‘s stance on the matter. “Stephanie White says there’s no update on Caitlin Clark or a potential timeline,” Peterson reported on X. “Clark met with another doctor this morning, but White says she hasn’t spoken with trainers about that yet.”
Stephanie White’s potential update regarding the star athlete came just hours before the team dived into another game against the New York Liberty. However, she had earlier reported on the progress that Clark displayed on the right groin injury. “She’s going to see some doctors and get some more tests run early in the week,” White had informed. “We’re just going to continue to take it one day at a time, and let her get her evaluations early this week. And once we’ve done that, hopefully we’ll have more of a clear line of what it looks like.”
With Clark’s return dipped in ambiguity and Fever’s roster juggling with a two-game losing streak, can HC White lead the team back on course? Or will Indiana Fever keep hanging on to the center of the league’s regular standings? With an aspiration title win this season, Indiana Fever can no longer afford to bag losses.
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