Indiana Fever rookie point guard Caitlin Clark has found an ally in Brittany Mahomes, wife of NFL star Patrick Mahomes, following a controversial weekend that saw Clark embroiled in a physical and verbal clash during a game against the Chicago Sky. Mahomes voiced her support on social media, praising Clark’s impact on the game and women’s sports amid ongoing discussions about how the young star is being treated in the league.
The supportive message came in the wake of an incident where Clark was fouled hard by Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter during the Fever. vs. Sky game Saturday, a foul that the WNBA later upgraded to a Flagrant 1. The incident has sparked widespread debate about the treatment Clark is receiving from other players in the league.
Clark’s head coach, Christie Sides, has been vocal about her dissatisfaction with how her point guard is being targeted.
“We’re just going to keep sending these possessions to the league, and these plays, and hopefully they’ll start, you know, taking a better look at some of the things that we see happening,” Sides said. “Just more happy that Caitlin handled it the way she did. You know, it’s tough to keep getting hammered the way she does and to not get rewarded with free throws or foul calls. She’s continued to fight through that. Appreciate that from her. Really, really proud of her for doing that.”
Caitlin Clark altercation highlights tough transition to the pros
© Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
The altercation on Saturday highlighted the harsh reality of transitioning from NCAA to WNBA play, something veteran star Diana Taurasi had warned about during the NCAA tournament. Taurasi cautioned that new players would face a tough adjustment period as they moved from playing against college athletes to seasoned professionals.
Clark’s latest confrontation occurred during the Fever’s narrow 71-70 victory over the Sky. In the third quarter, Carter appeared to call Clark a derogatory term before delivering a hard shoulder check. Initially ruled a common foul, the WNBA later upgraded it to a flagrant one.
Coach Sides and Fever General Manager Lin Dunn have both urged the league to address the aggressive play targeting Clark.
“There’s a difference between tough defense and unnecessary — targeting actions! It needs to stop! The league needs to ‘cleanup’ the crap! That’s NOT who this league is!!” Dunn wrote on social media.
The WNBA has confirmed that Carter’s foul was upgraded under a rule that penalizes unnecessary contact, and the Sky were fined for failing to ensure player compliance with media policies. The incident highlights the physical nature of the WNBA, something that is not new to the league. Angel Reese, another rookie, experienced similar treatment in a game against the Connecticut Sun when Alyssa Thomas grabbed her by the neck and threw her to the floor, resulting in a flagrant two foul and Thomas’s ejection.
Former NBA player Matt Barnes weighed in, criticizing Clark’s teammates for not defending her more assertively.
“Throughout the season she’s been getting beat up — hard screens, elbows, knocked down,” Barnes said on Instagram, as reported by Cindy Boren of The Washington Post. “It is what it is. She’s not the first. She won’t be the last. My issue and my question is: Where the f— are her teammates at? Where are the rest of the Indiana Fever at?”
Erin Achenbach is the Lead Women’s Sports Editor at ClutchPoints, championing women’s sports coverage and media representation. The St. Louis native graduated from the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism and has covered community news the last five years.
