CAITLIN Clark has lifted the lid on her bizarre interaction with referee Tyler Ricks during yesterday’s Indiana Fever-Seattle Storm game.
Clark’s Fever went into the contest looking to build momentum after beating the Phoenix Mercury on Saturday.
Caitlin Clark slapped the stanchion after missing a three-point shotCredit: ESPN
Referee Tyler Ricks immediately gave Clark a technical foulCredit: ESPN
Clark, 22, had been enduring a frustrating gameCredit: Getty
The former Iowa star went on to have the last laughCredit: Getty
The 2024 WNBA No. 1 pick didn’t begin the game at her sparkling best and had scored only eight points when she was accused of being “disrespectful to the game of basketball” by referee Ricks with 7:14 left to play in the third quarter.
After missing from three-point range, Clark let her frustration out by slapping the stanchion.
She was then visibly stunned when Ricks immediately decided to T her up.
“I got a technical for basically being mad at myself because I missed a three,” Clark revealed after the game.
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“And then I went and hit the backboard, and he told me it was disrespectful to the game of basketball.”
If anything, the incident appeared to fire Clark up – with the former Iowa star exploding late to finish with 23 points from 9-19 shooting.
Clark’s flurry inspired her team to a 92-75 win over the 17-10 Storm.
This saw the Fever, who finished last season 13-27, improve their record in 2024 to 13-15.
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Following her team’s win, Clark smiled and admitted that Ricks’ decision had improved her play.
“I think he fired me up to continue to play a lot harder,’ she went on.
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“I thought we got a lot better after that. I want to thank him for that.
“But overall, I thought once we got to that media timeout around five minutes in the third quarter, I thought we all kind of took a breath.
“It was all chaos there for two-and-a-half-minutes.”
During the game, Clark also beat a record that had previously stood for 26 years.
In addition to her 23 points, the 22-year-old laid on nine assists.
This saw her pass 225 dimes for the season – previously the most achieved by a WNBA rookie.
The previous record had been set by Ticha Penicheiro, who dished out 225 assists for Sacramento in 1998.
After the game, Penicheiro had a classy message for Clark.
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“I was always mesmerized about your passing, your court vision and how you make your teammates better,” Penicheiro said.
“So this record is in great hands and continue to do what you do, continue to elevate your game and the women’s game and the WNBA.”
