Chicago Sky slammed for ‘inexcusable’ Caitlin Clark mistake before Indiana Fever clash

Caitlin Clark’s first name was incorrectly listed as ‘Caitlyn’ before the Indiana Fever faced the Chicago Sky, as fans slammed the error before the heated clash

The Chicago Sky failed to spell Caitlin Clark’s name correctly before Saturday’s game(Image: 2025 Getty Images)

The Chicago Sky angered WNBA fans before Saturday’s game against the Indiana Fever, as they misspelled Caitlin Clark’s name when publishing the injury reports.

Clark was absent for Saturday’s game between the Sky and the Fever after suffering a quadriceps injury on May 24 against the New York Liberty. As a result, ticket prices plummeted with some resale sites listing seats for $3 on gameday, despite Chicago being the home team.

Inside United Center, which hosted Saturday’s WNBA clash over the Sky’s usual Wintrust Arena, Clark’s first name was listed as ‘Caitlyn’ as she appeared alongside Sophie Cunningham on the injury reports. The incorrect spelling was shown on the jumbotron as Clark was sitting on the bench, and fans began slamming Chicago on social media.

“Who is Caitlyn Clark?” One fan wrote on X as they pointed out the incorrect spelling. “The disrespect is LOUD,” another added.

“Why is this so difficult? It’s inexcusable at this point,” another wrote. Clark is expected to return in the near future, but has made it clear that she won’t rush her recovery process, which is why she sat out of Saturday’s rivalry against the Sky and Angel Reese.

On Thursday, Clark said, “I feel like I’ve made a lot of progress. I’m not going to rush coming back. It’s just not worth it. But after this weekend I’ll be re-evaluated and we’ll have a better idea.”

The WNBA and Chicago were hoping to achieve a record attendance on Saturday, after there was a surge in demand for tickets as fans flocked to see Clark and Reese face-off once again. The United Center holds 13,000 more seats than the Wintrust Arena, but Clark’s absence had a major impact.

The Fever and the Sky met in the season opener on May 17, and Reese had to be held back from Clark in the third quarter following a foul call. Organizers were expecting a near sell-out until Clark’s injury on May 24 changed everything.

After the Fever announced on May 26 that Clark would miss a minimum of two weeks, thousands of fans began relisting their tickets. The average price dropped by 71 percent, and the empty seats inside United Center were clear to see when the game started on Saturday.

Fans who made the trip were still able to see Clark, as she cheered the Fever on from the bench. Cunningham also joined Clark on the sidelines, as they attempted to play a vocal role while both were unable to assist Indiana on the court.

The Indiana Fever still had a large number of traveling fans who made the trip to Chicago(Image: 2025 Getty Images)

The Fever were also without head coach Stephanie White, who missed Friday’s practice session due to personal reasons. On Saturday, it was confirmed that she would also miss the game, with first assistant Austin Kelly stepping up as acting head coach.

Fellow assistants Karima Christmas-Kelly and Briann January also stepped into more senior roles, and Indiana is yet to announce when White will return. Before the start of the 2025 WNBA season, White spoke about her confidence in the coaching team and even suggested that the Fever would be fine if she ever needed to step away.

“My staff is so good and trusting in them that if I needed to be away for a period of time, it’s status quo,” White told the IndyStar. “Our team knows that, they have great respect for them, and I know that, and I trust them implicitly, so it gives even more peace of mind.”