Don’t lie to yourself: you’ve thought about it before. The strangely satisfying temptation of the microphone proved to be too much for Caitlin Clark, too. The Indiana Fever rookie made a scene by giving into this unusual behavior with the microphone – in the middle of a reporter’s question, no less.

Watch Caitlin Clark’s unusual behavior with microphone

The 22-year-old’s strange behavior came at an awkward time. After the Fever officially clinched their spot in the 2024 WNBA Playoffs, she was lobbed a question comparing her to sports legends who did not accomplish that in their first professional seasons, like four-time NBA champion LeBron James and two-time Super Bowl winner Peyton Manning. Instead of her answer, we got the viral video.

Clearly, Clark had used up all her energy in a 40-minute, triple-double performance against the Los Angeles Sparks that took Indiana to 18-16 on the season. What precious energy she didn’t spend on the court, she channeled into her best dance move, when their spot in the 8-team WNBA playoff field was confirmed.

Why did Caitlin Clark look so stressed?

Her tiredness, both from basketball and from facing relentless questions from the media about her impact on the WNBA and Rookie of the Year race with Angel Reese, all caught up to her during the funny moment in the room full of reporters.

Caitlin closed her eyes and rubbed her face on the soft foam of microphone, touching it to both eyes and the bridge of her nose. It created a muffled noise in the audio recording, which Clark fanatics likened to “free Caitlin Clark ASMR.”

“Tired cookie. Go home and rest up for Friday,” one concerned fan wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

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Some social media commenters blamed the youthful immaturity she has been known to show in press conferences. Others chalked it up to a reaction to the migraines that have followed her throughout her rookie campaign.

In any case, Caitlin Clark can rest easy now that the Fever are in the playoffs, and she successfully scratched her itch.