Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter had her foul upgraded, and rookie forward Angel Reese received discipline from the WNBA on Sunday following a fiercely contested game against the Indiana Fever.
Initially, Carter was given a common foul for her hip-check on Fever rookie Caitlin Clark. However, after the league reviewed the play, the foul was upgraded to a flagrant-1 violation.
Reese was fined $1,000 for failing to speak to reporters after the game, and the Sky received a $5,000 fine for not ensuring all players comply with league media policies. Despite the upgrade, Carter avoided a fine or suspension over the incident.
The play in question occurred in the third quarter when Carter gave Clark a hard bump, causing her to hit the floor. The incident sparked outrage on social media, but Carter declined to answer questions about the former Iowa standout.
Clark took the physical play in stride, saying, “I wasn’t expecting it. 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.”
Fever general manager Lin Dunn and head coach Christie Sides voiced their concerns about Clark’s treatment. Dunn took to social media to express her frustration, stating, “There’s a difference between tough defense and unnecessary – targeting actions! It needs to stop! The league needs to ‘cleanup’ the crap! That’s NOT who this league is!!”
Sides told reporters she would be sending tapes to the league office for review. “I’m trying not to get fined,” Sides said. “I’m just gonna keep sending these possessions to the league and these plays. Hopefully, they’ll start to, you know, take a better look at some of the things we see happening, or we think is happening.”
Sides praised Clark’s resilience and handling of the situation, saying, “Just more happy Caitlin handled it the way she did. It’s tough to keep getting hammered the way she does and to not get rewarded with free throws or a foul call. She’s continuing to fight through that. Appreciate that from her, really proud of her for doing that.”
Clark and the Fever are set to face off against the defending Eastern Conference champions, the New York Liberty, on Sunday. The game will be another test of Clark’s tenacity and the Fever’s resolve as they look to build momentum in the season.
