The Indiana Fever took the win last night against the Connecticut Sun, but the game came at a cost — it appears Caitlin Clark may have suffered her third injury of the season. The Fever has not yet offered an update on Clark, who also had an astonishing exchange with WNBA ref Michael Price during the third quarter of the game.
There's a lot to unpack from the game and from the potential for Clark to miss subsequent matches — and potentially the rest of the season — as well as what went wrong in terms of officiating last night.
Caitlin Clark's brother blames refs
In the minutes that followed the game, Clark's brother Colin took to X and wrote, "Make no mistake, this is on the reffing." He has since deleted the post, but the message saw over 100,000 views in less than 20 minutes, and that opinon is one that is held by a lot of people league-wide.
Caitlin Clark appears to grab her previously injured groin after the assist to KM pic.twitter.com/szdruUdK9y
— Clark Report (@CClarkReport) July 16, 2025
The Fever have made the team's issues with refs known all season, but they aren't the only ones. Angel Reese and Kelsey Plum have also called for a review of how reffing is conducted within the league. The path that individuals take toward becoming WNBA refs is somewhat mysterious — the league has never completely divulged what training refs receive before taking on the role, and some of the officials involved have been referring for a significant amount of time.
On one hand, it could (and should) be assumed that more experience as a ref is a good thing — but the lack of physical calls in favor of Clark and other players could also indicate that veteran refs haven't kept up with the progression of the game like they should have. If that is the case, perhaps calls for a review of refs and their training is warranted.
Clark's injuries this season could spur other changes
There's also a secondary concern: this is potentially Clark's third injury of the season, which indicates a few things. Most notably, she may not be recovering to the extent that she needs to. There is little doubt the medical team would not greenlight Clark if she couldn't play, and it's well known how much she hates to be on the bench, but three injuries in quick succession is a lot, and could lead to longer-term problems if she's not completely taking care of herself.
Only the Fever's medical staff and Clark can make this kind of call, and no one wants to see her on the bench for another series of games. The Fever appear to be caught in a tight spot: if refs aren't going to call the game in a way that keeps Clark safe, and Clark desperately wants to be on the court (and is also a major factor in the team's success), there's a thin line to navigate while determining what is best for everyone.
At the center of it all is a 23-year-old who wants to hoop — but unfortunately, in this era of the WNBA, it's not as easy as that.