Chicago Sky coach: Flagrant foul on Caitlin Clark ‘not appropriate’

Chicago Sky head coach Teresa Weatherspoon called Chennedy Carter’s flagrant-1 foul of Caitlin Clark in her team’s loss to the Indiana Fever on Saturday “not appropriate” in a statement on Monday.

“Physical play, intensity, and a competitive spirit are hallmarks of Chicago Sky basketball,” Weatherspoon said on Monday. “Chennedy got caught up in the heat of the moment in an effort to win the game. She and I have discussed what happened and that it was not appropriate, nor is it what we do or who we are. Chennedy understands that there are better ways to handle situations on the court, and she will learn from this, as we all will.

“As a team, we will grow together and continue to work hard to display strong leadership and set a positive example for our competitors, fans, and partners.”

Carter gave a shoulder shot to Clark that knocked her to the floor before an inbound pass during the third quarter of Saturday’s 71-70 win by the Fever. The officials called it an away-from-the-ball foul at the time, and it wasn’t reviewed.

The WNBA upgraded Carter’s foul to a flagrant 1 on Sunday.

Carter didn’t answer questions on the matter following Saturday’s game, telling reporters she wouldn’t answer questions about Clark. After Carter was asked about the incident a few times, Weatherspoon cut off questions.

However, Carter commented on the matter on social media after, replying to a video of her not answering questions about the Fever’s star rookie.

“And that’s that on that cause beside three point shooting what does she bring to the table man,” Carter wrote.

Clark, who had 11 points, eight rebounds and six assists in the game, brushed aside the incident when asked about it following Saturday’s win.

“I wasn’t expecting it,” Clark said. “It is what it is. It’s a physical game. Go make the free throw and execute on offense, and I feel like that’s kind of what we did.”

Indiana coach Christie Sides complimented Clark for how she handled the situation, along with dealing with physical play in her first season in the league.

“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, or we think is 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,”  Sides added. “She’s continued to fight through that. Appreciate that from her. Really, really proud of her for doing that.”

In addition to upgrading Carter’s foul to a flagrant 1, the WNBA issued a $1,000 fine to Angel Reese for failing to make herself available to the media after Saturday’s game. The WNBA also fined Chicago $5,000 for failing to ensure that all players comply with league media policies.

As for why the WNBA upgraded Carter’s foul to a flagrant 1, players accumulate points for flagrant fouls during the regular season and receive suspensions if they reach a certain number.

The Sky fell to 3-4 with Saturday’s loss. Meanwhile, the Fever were in action again on Sunday, losing to the New York Liberty, 104-68. Clark scored a season-low three points as the Fever fell to 2-9 on the season.