Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark has shown signs of frustration with the WNBA’s physical play during a rocky and very well-publicized start to her professional career.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) plays against the Los Angeles Sparks in the first half of a WNBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Tuesday, May 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.© Provided by Forbes

Key Facts

Clark, who broke the NCAA record for most points scored across all of collegiate basketball, made her much-anticipated WNBA debut with the Fever on May 14, after being the No. 1 draft pick in April.

The Fever are off to a rough 2-8 start to the season, and after the Fever’s 71-70 win Saturday, Clark averages 16.9 points per game, good for 16th in the league, and is still the betting favorite to win Rookie of the Year, according to FanDuel.

Clark has struggled with the physical defense she’s faced at the professional level and voiced frustration with the league’s officiating, telling reporters on Thursday “I feel like I’m getting hammered” and on Tuesday: “everybody is physical with me” and opponents “get away with things that other people don’t get away with.”

She’s also shown frustration on the court, resulting in three technical fouls across only 10 games, most recently on Thursday when she got into a verbal altercation with the Seattle Storm’s Victoria Vivians.

After her debut drew more than 2 million viewers, the most in two decades, Clark has continued to lead a WNBA ratings boost, with multiple ratings records for WNBA games this week.

Some on social media have observed animosity throughout the league directed toward Clark—which was only reignited Saturday when the Chicago Sky’s Chennedy Carter appeared to shove Clark unprompted, drawing only a common foul.

Clark’s received some high-profile support from the likes of LeBron James and Charles Barkley, who both credited Clark for bringing fresh viewership and opportunity to the WNBA, with Barkley calling any WNBA critics “petty.”

Could Caitlin Clark Get Suspended?

In the WNBA, a player gets a one-game suspension after seven technical fouls—with an additional game added for every subsequent technical foul. Clark has three technical fouls in only nine games with three-quarters of the season remaining.

Is Caitlin Clark Responsible For The Wnba Getting Charter Flights?

The WNBA has committed $50 million over the next two years to provide its teams full-time charter flight service—ending the longtime norm of having teams fly commercial. Barkley, in his comments defending Clark, linked the charter flights to her arrival to the WNBA, saying, “y’all should be thanking that girl for getting y’all ass private charters, all the money and visibility she brings into the WNBA.” Clark’s popularity has indeed brought a boost to the WNBA, and a video of Clark arriving at the Dallas airport to fly commercial sparked fresh debate over the WNBA’s policy of not providing charter flights for every team. But the conversation began before Clark joined the league, with the WNBA Players Association long working with the league to put a plan in place. WNBA players have long voiced concern about safety for players—spurred even further after WNBA player Brittney Griner was harassed by a man at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport last year.

Crucial Quote

Fever Coach Christie Sides similarly voiced frustration with officiating, claiming Thursday, “I feel like we need to get the same calls that are happening on the other end” and acknowledged Clark was “getting beat up” all game. Earlier in the week,however, she said players need to avoid sounding off against referees and let her do that on their behalf. She got her own technical foul on Thursday after arguing with a referee for failing to make a foul call during one of Clark’s drives. After Carter’s hit on Clark Saturday, Sides told the media the Fever have been regularly sending videos of players roughing up Clark to the league for review.

Chief Critic

Following Barkley’s comments, fellow rookie on the Chicago Sky Angel Reese appeared to take a swipe at Barkley, and possibly Clark. In a now-deleted post on X, Reese wrote following a Sky victory: “And that’s one getting a WIN in a packed area, not just cause of one player on our charter flight.” Reese and Clark were rivals in college.

Key Background

Clark’s rise to the WNBA has been widely credited with sparking fresh interest in professional women’s sports. Clark, a No. 1 draft pick, signed a four-year deal with the Fever valued at $338,056, which sparked discussion about the pay gap between men and women athletes. She’s also signed a $28 million endorsement deal with Nike.