Caitlin Clark Criticizes Referee Over Missed Foul After Knee Injury

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark said a referee missed a foul after she was kneed in the quad during Wednesday night's loss to the Golden State Warriors. Clark told reporters the contact caused a contusion and required her to continue playing with the injury.

"I got kneed right in the quad, that hurts, the ref can’t miss that," Clark said. "And then I have to play with a contusion in my leg for the rest of the game. Ridiculous, you can’t miss calls like that." Clark added that she had informed officials that she initiated the contact herself and questioned why the play was not called. "You can’t knee me in the leg and knock me over," she said. Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White responded sarcastically, suggesting the decision implied Clark was always initiating contact. "Seems to always be initiating the contact," White said. The incident was captured on video and circulated on social media, prompting mixed reactions from fans. Clark finished the game with 13 points, six assists and 11 points after returning from the locker room with the apparent contusion. The episode follows recent on-court tensions, including a prior incident in which Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas punched Clark in the throat, leading to a one-game suspension for Thomas. Orthopedic consultant Dr. Nicholas DiNubile expressed concern about the frequency and severity of contact Clark has endured, urging better officiating to protect players. "The type of contact and the amount of contact that she gets is concerning to me. It’s troubling to me," DiNubile said. "I think they should be calling things. They can officiate better... I mean, how do they miss this?"