Caitlin Clark can’t win them all.
The Indiana Fever star immediately argued a no-call on the final play of the team’s 90-88 home loss to the Liberty on Saturday, when she was stopped by Natasha Cloud.
As soon as the game ended, Clark approached the referee and appeared to say, “You’ve got to be kidding me… Are you serious?”
The play occurred with 2.9 seconds left in regulation in a 90-88 game, when Clark received an inbounds pass and was guarded by Cloud.
As Clark tried to move toward the basket, contact was made and she tried to sell the foul, but no call was made and the ball got away as time expired to seal the Liberty win.
Clark was briefly joined by teammate Sophie Cunningham in her disagreement with the ref, to no avail.
Clark followed the referee toward the logo at half court before tailing off and then re-engaging with him, extending her hands in a questioning fashion while the fans booed.
The referee did not engage with Clark while she pressed him, and team staffers later attended to her while Clark continue to plead her case — this time, without a referee around — before eventually joining the team’s post-game huddle.
Clark did not offer much on the play after the game since she hadn’t been watched the replay.
Fever head coach Stephanie White was adamant that Cloud indeed fouled Clark before time expired and took issue with the way her team has been officiated this season.
“It’s pretty egregious what’s been happening to us the last few games,” White said.
“A minus-31 free-throw discrepancy. … The disrespect right now for our team has been pretty unbelievable and it’s disappointing that it doesn’t go both ways.”
The Fever are just 2-2 to start the season, with both setbacks coming down to the final moments.
Clark is averaging 19 points, 6.0 rebounds and 9.3 assists this season.