Rookie sensation Caitlin Clark is taking women’s basketball by storm, and she’s not afraid to do it her way. If that means laughing in the face of traditions that WNBA veterans hold dearly, so be it. Based on this video captured by a fan from the end of the Indiana Fever‘s game against the Connecticut Sun, Clark takes joy in breaking the unwritten rules of the game.
Caitlin Clark’s controversial move caught on camera
The backstory to the video of Clark punking Marina Mabrey was an intense battle between the Fever and the Connecticut Sun that spilled beyond the basketball court. You may remember that Clark’s WNBA debut came against the Sun, when DiJonai Carrington forced her into 10 turnovers in a humiliating 20-point loss that tempered expectations for the No. 1 overall draft pick.
Caitlin Clark vs DiJonai Carrington
Clark and Carrington went back and forth again on Wednesday night in a remarkable third quarter sequence. Caitlin buried a step back three-pointer in Connecticut guard’s face, who responded with a three of her own on the other end and a shush gesture. Clark responded by taking her to straight to the hoop with an unstoppable move, and then the Sun’s Alyssa Thomas capped it off by retaliating with a hard screen that sent Clark to the floor.
All the drama clearly stuck with the Fever rookie until the end of the game. After leading Indiana to an insurmountable 84-80 lead with a few seconds left, Clark sought a reaction from her rivals by infringing on one of basketball’s most sacred unwritten rules.
Did Clark cross the line?
If a trailing team stops fouling and concedes the loss, the winning team is supposed to respectfully dribble out the clock instead of running up the score, since they are going to win anyway. Instead, Caitlin took the ball on the final possession up four points and charged down the court as if she was going to the basket to pad her stats.
Mabrey took it personal and was ready to take a stand against Clark. The rookie put on the brakes, but not before getting the reaction she wanted from the Sun and flashing a cocky grin to show she loved getting on their nerves.
The Fever-Sun beef didn’t stop there. Carrington took to X, formerly Twitter after the game to call out Indiana’s fans as the “nastiest” in the league.
The Fever may have broken their 11-game losing streak to the Sun, but thanks to Caitlin Clark’s controversial actions, it’s clear that the rivalry is burning as hot as ever. With Indiana surging, WNBA fans will hope for a rematch in the playoffs to find out what other rules Clark is willing to break.
