Caitlin Clark fumes over missed call as Fever fall to Valkyries
Clark said a no-call left her playing through a leg contusion in Indiana’s 88-75 loss to Golden State, according to ESPN.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
Caitlin Clark left the court limping after a second-quarter collision, then left no mystery about her frustration after the Indiana Fever’s 88-75 home loss to the Golden State Valkyries on Wednesday night.
According to ESPN, Clark was driving for a layup midway through the second quarter when she took contact from Kiah Stokes, hit the floor and still made the basket. No foul was called.
Clark limped back on defense, then went straight toward an official after the next whistle, raising a fist in the air as she protested the decision, ESPN reported.
After the game, Clark said the official told her she had initiated the contact. She disputed the explanation, saying the missed call left her dealing with a leg contusion for the rest of the night.
Clark did not sound alarmed about the injury afterward. She smiled while saying, according to ESPN, that she would “rub it out” and move on.
Fever coach Stephanie White also addressed the explanation given to Indiana, saying officials told the team Clark had initiated the contact. White added that Indiana keeps asking for consistency and said she was trying to avoid a fine, ESPN reported.
Clark’s latest injury concern
The fall came during a stretch in which Clark’s health has already been closely watched by Fever fans. ESPN reported that she had missed three of Indiana’s previous six games and had been limited in minutes in the other three because of a back injury.
Before Wednesday’s game, Clark said she felt good but was unsure about her availability for Indiana’s upcoming back-to-back against the Seattle Storm and New York Liberty, according to ESPN.
Her recent shooting numbers have also dipped. ESPN reported that Clark had shot 35% from the field and 16% from 3-point range across her previous three games.
Against Golden State, Clark finished with 13 points, six assists and three rebounds in 26 minutes. She shot 4-for-14 overall and 1-for-8 from beyond the arc.
Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana with 20 points, while Aliyah Boston added 15 points and seven rebounds.
Golden State keeps rolling
Clark credited Golden State’s defense after the loss, saying the Valkyries were pressuring her closely and calling them perhaps the league’s top defensive team, according to ESPN.
The numbers back up the trouble they caused Indiana. Golden State extended its winning streak to eight games, the longest active run in the WNBA and tied with the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty for the longest streak of the season, ESPN reported.
The victory was also Golden State’s 11th by double digits this year, the most in the league in 2026.
Six Valkyries scored at least 10 points. All-Star starter Gabby Williams had 16, and Kaitlyn Chen added 14 off the bench.
Williams praised Golden State’s depth after the game, saying the team has multiple players who could be considered for sixth player honors, according to ESPN. Coach Natalie Nakase said her players appear to value team success over individual attention.
The Valkyries have now held opponents to 75 points or fewer 12 times this season, going 11-1 in those games, ESPN reported. That is the highest total in the league, ahead of the Lynx, Phoenix Mercury and Washington Mystics, who each had six such games.
Nakase still was not fully satisfied, saying Golden State did not execute its defensive plan and needed to improve rather than focus on the streak, according to ESPN.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.