The Indiana Fever were eliminated from the WNBA Playoffs in a hard-fought, physical battle with the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, which left Caitlin Clark bloodied after one especially rough play. With 3:16 remaining in the game's fourth quarter, Clark battled for a rebound in the paint against the Aces' Jewell Lloyd. As Lloyd was coming down, her arm and elbow made contact with Clark's face and mouth.
The referees didn't call any fouls on the play. Clark eventually left the game to go back to the locker room, and when she returned to the game, she pulled her upper lip up to show a referee that she was visibly bleeding around her gums and teeth. Referees eventually made her go back to the sidelines to get further treatment to stop the bleeding before she could return to the court.
It was a must-win game, and the lack of a call for that play left many fans upset, feeling the referees gave the Aces the benefit of the doubt and that a foul should have been given to Lloyd. More news: Sophie Cunningham Jokes About Viral Moment After A’ja Wilson Fan Confrontation Fans expressed their frustration over the officiating in various comments on X, with many calling out the referees for their lack of calls for the Fever. "No way that wasn't on foul on Caitlin Clark with blood literally coming out of her teeth," one commenter said.
"The level of violence in @WNBA games is unreal. It is literally abusive and unwatchable," a commenter wrote. This game will go down in history as the most incompetent reffing EVER!" another commenter said.
Fever are the real winners. See you next season WNBA. Maybe," another individual commented.
Others wrote, "Just wish our girls got the same calls as the rest of the league" and "They literally busted Caitlin Clark mouth open and blood was showing and no foul was called." While many fans were heated over the play, others said it shouldn't have been a foul because it was incidental contact that occurred between two players battling for the rebound. "Your guess would be as good as mine," Clark said postgame when asked if she received an explanation of the non-call. Unfortunately, things didn't get better from there.
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