“I don’t think I’ve ever seen Caitlin embarrassed,” Caitlin Clark’s high school coach Kristen Meyer once said. That checks out. From day one, the hooper has been all fire. Way ahead of her age and completely unfazed by the whole “you can’t do this” thing. Remember that viral clip? Little CC – maybe six or seven – just casually dribbling through a pack of boys, both hands on the rock, leaving them scrambling, before finishing with a neat shot. It was always the game first. That’s still the case. Doesn’t matter if she’s suiting up or sitting out, Clark’s going to show up.
Now sure, she wasn’t in the lineup against the Sparks due to a left groin injury (one that, by the way, seems to have popped up during that dive for the loose ball in the final seconds of the Fever’s gritty W over Seattle). Head coach Stephanie White got word about it late the night before, and Clark was sidelined. This also pretty much explains her shooting slumps during the West coast trip.
But being off the court doesn’t mean Caitlin’s switched off. Not even close. You know what she was doing instead? Getting right into it with the refs. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Coach White, passionately arguing a call. It was so intense, the broadcasters said it out loud, “The competitive nature of Caitlin Clark does not go away even when she is not playing.” Another added, “Feisty, right?!”
One look at her frustrated turn away after the argument, and you could feel it…she wanted to be in the game, not next to it. Or least she was tired of the officiating. That wasn’t even the only incident. Later in the second quarter, her bench antics got a little too spicy. Sparks guard Kelsey Plum, probably half-joking but also half-not, motioned to the refs like, “Hey, T her up!”
I don’t care what anyone thinks…this passion from Caitlin Clark gives me life. pic.twitter.com/OqrG8upIG1
— ericaf455 (@ericaf455) June 27, 2025
Imagine getting a tech from the bench? But it’s not new. She has come close before. Like that Fever season opener where she almost got it for celebrating too much. That’s peak CC. This is just who she is. When she was out the last time, she showed up at every game. When Fever struggled against the Mystics, Clark wasn’t about to sit quiet. Even though she wasn’t playing, she still marched onto the court mid-game, giving the refs an earful from the sidelines and not backing off until she felt heard.
But, you know, that drive didn’t just show up one day. It’s been there from the start. Diane Murphy, Clark’s first-grade teacher, still remembers seeing it. She had this program called Rocket Math, where kids compete against themselves. But not Caitlin. “She took it to a whole new level and it became very competitive,” Murphy said. “She wanted to beat everybody’s level in the classroom.”
Now flash forward to 2025. She’s 23. In her just her second year as a pro, she is leading a team that also has vets…like she’s been in this league forever. Even from the bench, she’s fighting for every possession, every whistle, every advantage. But while she’s barking at refs or hyping her squad from the sidelines, you really feel her absence on the floor. Without her, the Fever stumble.
We’ve seen it before and we saw it again.
Fever fumble late without Caitlin Clark as Sparks seal it
The Indiana Fever really could’ve used Caitlin Clark’s spark last night. In her absence, things were messy, scrappy, and ultimately heartbreaking as Indiana fell 85-75 to the Los Angeles Sparks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Thursday night. The game started out rough for both squads. Indiana shot a brutal 29.7% from the field in the first half. And somehow… they were still winning. That’s how chaotic this one was early on.
The Sparks had their own share of struggles, going nine whole minutes without a field goal – from the end of the first quarter into the second. What kept the Fever afloat? That gritty defense. Indiana forced 15 turnovers in the first 20 minutes, giving them 10 extra shots compared to L.A. Sophie Cunningham and Aliyah Boston led the charge with four steals each, and at one point, it looked like the Fever were going to pull this off with hustle alone.
By the end of the third quarter, Indiana was up 58-50. But then… the fourth quarter happened. The Sparks, who’d been coughing up the ball all night, suddenly played flawless basketball. Not a single turnover in the final frame. And they opened the fourth on a nasty 19-8 run, taking the lead for the first time in the half.
Indiana Fever Caitlin Clark (22) gets the crowd excited Saturday, May 3, 2025, during a preseason game between the Indiana Fever and the Washington Mystics at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Indiana didn’t totally fold, they kept tying it up, trying to claw back in. But every time they got close, a little mistake would send them crashing back down. With under a minute left and the Sparks clinging to a 77-75 lead, Dearica Hamby grabbed a put-back bucket, got fouled, and missed the free throw but Azurá Stevens hustled for the rebound, scored again, and got the foul. She knocked down the freebie to complete a five-point possession that sealed the deal. Final score: 85-75.
The Fever, now 7-8, really felt the absence of Clark’s tempo, floor vision, and just her presence. They’ll try to regroup fast because next up is a road matchup against Paige Bueckers and Dallas.
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