The Indiana Fever star bowed out of the WNBA Playoffs on September 25, but fans were not happy.
he WNBA referees have been slammed by basketball fans for their failure to protect the Indiana Fever’s Cailtin Clark as she suffered two more uncalled fouls during their elimination game against the Connecticut Sun on September 25.
The Game 2 incident came just days after she was poked in the eye as she kicked off her WNBA postseason career, in an already controversial incident that wasn’t called against DiJona Carrington, who was lucky not to be expelled from the contest.
Now during the Sun’s 87-81 victory over the Fever and the 22-year-old, despite her valiant effort of 25 points, nine assists and six rebounds at the Mohegan Sun Arena, she was fouled two more times. One by DeWanna Bronner and another by Marina Mabrey.
Bronner jumped towards Clark as she went to shoot a three-pointer from deep but missed her block attempt and collided with the ex-Iowa Hawkeye as they tumbled to the floor. The rookie was incensed as she appealed to the referees, who didn’t grant her the call.
Then later in the contest, she was breaking down the right hand side and tried to get into two-point range by driving at the basket yet as she went to shoot she was slapped in the face by Mabrey.
Fans hit out at WNBA
The ESPN commentators immediately called the foul but officials had different ideas and as a result, fans took to X.com, formerly Twitter, to hit out at the incidents.
Dave Portnoy, Barstool Sports founder, wrote, “This is the most automatic call in the league. How the f**k do you miss this? @wnba refs are so bad.”
He later added: “These refs are literally blind. Its disgusting we keep using challenges on fake fouls.”
Whilst a second fan said, “It can’t be accidental at this point. We need a full investigation into what the refs have been told to do with regards to officiating Caitlin Clark.”
And a third wrote, “The refs didn’t miss it. The WNBA hates Clark. There are players in the WNBA who are jealous and catty towards Clark. They are letting them get away with fouls so she gets frustrated and quits.”
