Megan Rapinoe issues Caitlin Clark and Indiana Fever reality check with ‘crying wolf’ warning

Megan Rapinoe has claimed that Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever are in danger of complaining too much about refereeing decisions, which could work against them in the WNBA season

Megan Rapinoe

USWNT legend Megan Rapinoe has warned the Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark are in danger of “crying wolf” over refereeing decisions in the WNBA.

Despite the talent on their roster, the Fever have lost three of their last four games. The team’s latest setback came in an 83-77 defeat to the Washington Mystics, with Indiana without the injured Clark, who was sidelined with a quad problem.

However, Clark remained involved as she was seen speaking to officials during the game. This followed head coach Stephanie White being fined for her comments about no-calls in the team’s narrow defeat to the New York Liberty last week, and Rapinoe has warned that the Fever are in danger of their approach working against them later in the WNBA season.

“I did a fair bit of complaining in my day, too. I would say the majority of my yellow cards and the only two reds I’ve ever received all came from talking to the ref about fouls,” soccer star Rapinoe explained on A Touch More podcast. “So I actually don’t think I have any leg to stand on here. Nevertheless, here I am.

“You don’t want to become the girl, the team, the coach, the player who cries wolf all the time. It’s just like… constant. And, like, to what end? And I think especially around this Fever team, and especially around Caitlin, this has like been a thing. It was a thing last year. Sometimes you just have to play through it and like earn a little bit more respect.”

The two-time World Cup winner added: “I feel like constantly having that narrative doesn’t do your team or you really any good. Obviously, you have to go to bat for your team and whatever, but I’m just kind of like, it’s too much. I think it’s too much, constantly asking for fouls all the time, it’s just annoying and I feel like you get less fouls.”

Caitlin Clark

Rapinoe spoke on the podcast she hosts alongside her fiancee, WNBA legend Sue Bird. The four-time WNBA champion, who is also part-owner of the Seattle Storm, has a slightly different view from Rapinoe, but believes that Clark and her teammates should leave the complaints to White.

“It’s a game within a game. If anyone can play that, it’s the coach,” Bird explained. “I think it works out in teams’ favors when the team, meaning the players, understand that the coach is going to do that.

“They can’t also take on that identity. Let the coach do it in the media, let them do it in the game. Yeah, as a player, of course, you’re going to react and have moments of emotion or complaining or whatever it is. I think when you have the balance is where the coach is taking the brunt of it.

“I have no problem with this, it’s the game within the game. She’s just playing it and she has her players’ backs, which you have to develop that relationship.”

Stephanie White
Fever head coach White was recently fined by the WNBA(

Clark spoke out after the Fever’s recent defeat to the Liberty, which was ultimately decided when Natasha Cloud poked the ball out of her hands during the last possession of the game, but no foul was called. Reflecting on the loss, Clark said: “That’s probably what’s frustrating about it. We are two possessions from being 4-0.

“But there were so many little areas of this game we could have improved. It definitely stings, but this is what’s going to make us better at the end of the year.” Meanwhile, Fever head coach White was fined following the defeat to New York after claiming a lack of consistency across officiating teams.

“I thought [Clark] got fouled,” White said in her press conference. “I think it’s pretty egregious what’s been happening to us these last few games. A minus-31 free-throw discrepancy (over three games).”

The Fever coach added: “Consistency with how we call the game, protecting. We’ve made a real point to protect airborne shooters on the perimeter. I don’t think we do as good of a job at that near the rim.

“Are we going to say that we want a free-flowing offensive game, or are we going to have tough, grind-out physical games? Whatever way it is, the players will adjust, and the coaches will adjust.”