The WNBA dropped the hammer Sunday on the Sky.
The WNBA upgraded Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter’s foul against Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark to a flagrant-1 violation after combing over the play.
Carter gave an unnecessary shoulder cheap shot to Clark that knocked her to the floor prior to an inbound pass during the third quarter of Saturday’s 71-70 win by the Fever. The officials called it an away-from-the-ball foul and did not review the play. It was deemed a common foul at the time.
“I wasn’t expecting it,” Clark said after the game. “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.”
Carter refused to answer questions about Clark or the play after the game. When asked about the foul after the game, Carter responded by using the classic line, “Next question.”
Embed from Getty ImagesCarter had much more to say later on social media and let her emotions run wild, criticizing Clark, “Besides three-point shooting, what does she bring to the table man.”
The league fined Sky forward Angel Reese $1,000 for failing to make herself available to the media after Saturday’s game. The WNBA also fined the Sky $5,000 for failing to ensure that all players comply with league media policies.
The league office may reclassify a flagrant foul or upgrade a foul to a flagrant that is not called during the game. In addition, the league may impose a fine or suspend a player for a flagrant foul. The WNBA was lenient and did not do either to Carter.
Much like the NBA, players accumulate points for flagrant fouls during the regular season. Carter’s Flagrant 1 foul earned her one point. A player with three points faces the risk of a one-game suspension, and a player that accumulates four or more points, could be subject to a one-to-two-game suspension.
If the officials had reviewed Carter’s foul at the time and upgraded it to a Flagrant 1 foul, Clark would have shot two free throws instead of one.
“This league is awesome, it’s a physical league,” Indiana coach Christie Sides said before playing the New York Liberty on Sunday night. “That was a non-basketball play that needed to be called in that moment.”
Sides commended Clark in her postgame interview Saturday for keeping her composure through all the physical play she has faced this season.
“She showed it last night,” the coach said. “Got up and kept playing. All she did was ask the officials to review it. They didn’t want to listen to it. I applaud her for how she handled it last night.”
Clark finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Reese had eight points and 13 rebounds.
“I grew up playing basketball with the boys. It’s always been physical and feisty and you have to find a way to hold your own,” Clark said.
