Fever coach blasts refs after ‘cheap shots’ on Caitlin Clark: ‘Utterly disrespectful’
· Yahoo Sports
Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White unleashed a tirade on the officials Wednesday night after the Phoenix Mercury took what she called several “cheap shots” on star guard Caitlin Clark, who left the game with a back injury and did not return.
The teams met for the second time in three nights and both games were spicy.
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In Monday’s game won by the Fever, five technical fouls were called, including one on Clark.
On Wednesday, Clark fell on her back in the paint in the first half and replays showed Alyssa Thomas with her fist on Clark’s throat during the scrum. No foul was called.
On the next Fever possession, Clark attempted a 3-pointer and landed on the foot of Mercury guard Valeriane Ayayi after an aggressive close-out. Clark collapsed to the ground and grabbed at her back. A foul was called and the play was reviewed by the referees, but it was not upgraded
In the third quarter, Clark left the game and did not return with a back injury. She finished with 19 points, 8 assists and 4 turnovers in the Fever’s 111-109 loss.
After the game, White did not hold back when discussing the fist on Clark’s throat.
“No. 1, you gotta call it,” she told reporters. “It’s absolutely egregious and utterly disrespectful.
“And then No. 2, you’re coming in here aware of what happened two nights ago and that s--t still happens. Absolutely unacceptable. Absolutely unacceptable.
“And the reckless close-out that they actually reviewed and the foot still comes down on top of the defender’s foot that wasn’t upgraded. Absolutely disrespectful.”
White went on to say that that treatment of Clark by the officials was “unacceptable.”
“We have a generational talent and a WNBA superstar who had two cheap shots right there that weren’t called,” she said. “And I just say again, absolutely unacceptable.”
She went on.
“They were so egregious,” White said. “I mean the fist in the throat is crazy. It’s crazy, it’s dangerous.
“The landing spot, when you went to review it and she still comes down on top of another foot, like, I don’t know, because to that’s like a do-over on a test. How do you screw it up again?
“When you have these things continue to happen time and time and time and time again eventually, it gets frustrating, but I just thought those were more egregious.”
The teams meet again July 9 in Phoenix.
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