Expressing emotions is common in sports, especially basketball. In the heat of competition, many players aren't shy to voice their thoughts, no matter how straightforward or blunt their words may be. Just look at WNBA star Caitlin Clark. During the Indiana Fever's Friday clash against the Phoenix Mercury, Clark gave the officials a piece of her mind over a turnover call that she didn't take a liking to.
“Wake up, you guys are so bad!” Clark said, with outstretched arms in a show of exasperation.
Does Caitlin Clark focus too much on the officials?
Clark is known by many as a scoring phenomenon, but fans have also taken notice of her tendency to complain to the officials. It came to a point where Fever head coach Christie Sides had to issue a reminder to her and the rest of the team. Back in May, after a game where Clark was assessed a technical foul, Sides made the following statement to the media:
“We’re spending too much time talking to the officials,” the Fever coach said, per ClutchPoints' Matthew Byrne. “We’ve got to leave that alone. We’ve got to just play our game and let them do their job, and not put it in their hands to make decisions…that ultimately hurts…we shouldn’t get technicals…let me go after the officials.”
Sides does have a point, considering how excessive attention toward the referees can throw any hooper off her game. It's even worse if such a situation happens to a player like Clark, who's tasked to put up points in bunches for the Fever every game.
The Fever emerge victorious on Friday
Luckily for Indiana, no technical was handed out this time. The Fever took home a 95-86 win and Clark finished with 20 points on 8-of-16 (50%) shooting. She also added 13 assists to her name, ending the night with a double-double.
Right off the bat, the momentum was on Indiana's side. They immediately took the lead, going up by double digits as early as the first quarter. The wide distance was sustained in the second and third, but Phoenix went on a fourth-quarter run to cut their deficit down to four with over three minutes remaining. Fortunately for Gainbridge Fieldhouse spectators, the Fever managed to convert late-game baskets and emerge victorious.
Kelsey Mitchell had a big game, scoring 28 points on 11-of-19 shooting while Aliyah Boston added a double-double of 21 points and 13 rebounds.
Indiana takes on a heavyweight on Sunday, as a clash with the Minnesota Lynx awaits in Target Center at 4:00 p.m. ET.
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