Caitlin Clark put her latest WNBA tormentor back in her place with a gutsy five-word message after their heated altercation on Thursday night.
Clark, the Indiana Fever sensation, was dribbling the ball when Rhyne Howard of the Atlanta Dream tried to defend her.
As Clark stopped after pressure from Howard, both players seemed to shove each other at the same time before Howard pushed Clark away with her hand.
Howard then followed Clark around the court and said something to her, which remains unclear, as both players’ teammates then rushed to their defense.
In response to Howard’s aggression, it appears Clark said: ‘I’m not scared of you.’
Clark and the Fever would have the last laugh though as they ran out 81-76 winners in Atlanta.
Caitlin Clark put her latest WNBA tormentor back in her place with a brutal five-word message
Clark and Rhyne Howard had an altercation during the first quarter of their WNBA game
In response to Howard’s aggression, it appears Clark said: ‘I’m not scared of you’
This was the second game between the two teams this week. On Tuesday, Howard’s late free throw helped the Dream beat Clark’s Fever 91-90.
The new WNBA season is still less than one week old but Clark has already become engulfed in controversy in two of her three games so far.
Clark and bitter rival Angel Reese clashed during the Indiana Fever’s season-opening win against the Chicago Sky on Saturday.
Reese attempted to confront her rival after the Fever star slapped her arm – hard enough to knock the ball loose and send Reese to the floor.
‘You’re crazy as f***,’ Reese could be seen shouting in Clark’s direction.
After the game, Reese was in no mood to talk about the incident – in part because her team was emphatically beaten by the Fever, losing 58-93.
‘Basketball play, refs got it right, move on,’ Reese, who top-scored for her team with 12 points, said in a post-game press conference.
Clark claimed after the game that there was no underlying tension between her and Reese but added that she disagree with the refs who upgraded her foul to a flagrant foul.
Naz Hillmon pushes teammate Howard away as she continued to confront Clark on the court
Reese was livid after a clash with Clark as Chicago Sky lost to Indiana Fever on Saturday
Reese had to be held back after the incident while Clark walked away from the drama
‘Let’s not make it something that it’s not,’ Clark said. ‘It was just a good play on the basketball. I’m not sure what the ref saw to upgrade it, and that’s up to their discretion. It’s a take foul to put them at the free-throw line.
‘I’ve watched a lot of basketball in my life, that’s exactly what it was. I wasn’t trying to do anything malicious. That’s not the type of player I am.’
But their rivalry dates back to college, when Reese helped lead LSU to victory over Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes for the 2022-23 national championship. Reese appeared to taunt Clark by waving her hand in front of her face and pointing to her ring finger.
A day after their latest run-in, the WNBA launched a racism investigation. The league released a statement relating to ‘alleged hateful fan comments’ at the Sky-Fever game.
‘The WNBA strongly condemns racism, hate, and discrimination in all forms – they have no place in our league or in society. We are aware of the allegations and are looking into the matter,’ a statement read.
The Fever released their own statement from Pacers Sports & Entertainment CEO Mel Raines.
‘We are aware of the allegations of inappropriate fan conduct during yesterday’s game and we are working closely with the WNBA to complete their investigation,’ it read. ‘We stand firm in our commitment to providing a safe environment for all WNBA players.’
