Caitlin Clark behavior at refs turns heads as Fever star dragged away

Caitlin Clark was buzzing on her return from injury in Saturday’s clash with the New York Liberty – so much so she got herself in trouble

INDIANAPOLIS – Caitlin Clark put on a show upon her return from injury in Saturday’s 102-88 victory with the New York Liberty.

Back on the court after a five-game absence caused by a quad strain, the Indiana Fever star was in her element, making threes rain and dazzling with behind-the-back passes at a packed Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Clark already put up a 30-piece with 4:14 left in the third quarter, announcing to the rest of the WNBA that she’s bacThe 6-foot guard’s zeal also led to a heated moment with the referee. A no-call in the second quarter prompted an angry rant from Clark, earning her a technical foul after she seemingly fired some unsavory words toward the official.

Her outburst caused a Fever staffer to intervene in an apparent attempt to drag Clark away. The former No. 1 pick was still fuming as she sat on the bench during a video review, prompted by Fever head coach Stephanie White’s challenge.

The call was upheld, though, and Clark approached the official again to ask for an explanation. And although she had regained her poise, the Fever sensation couldn’t stop herself from uttering a disappointed “wow” in a sign she didn’t find the ref’s reasoning convincing.

Clark finished with 32 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists, playing without a minutes restriction despite making her first appearence since May 24. “I’m not a huge fan of minute restrictions,” she said pregame. “I think that’s silly

Clark continued, “Why would I be out there to play 20 minutes? I’m out there to win and give everything I have for this team. My rotations might just be a little shorter to keep me a little fresher.

“I haven’t played a game in three weeks now, so my lungs might be a little bit different for myself. … Just shorter periods to make sure I have my lungs with me.”Clark also expressed hope that with her back on the court, the Fever would surge in the WNBA standings after falling to seventh in her absence. “I feel like I’ve continued to prepare every single game like I’m playing, and now just continue to execute in those ways,” she said.

“We’re 4-5, but we’ve had a lot of opportunities to win a lot of the games that we’ve lost. So I think now being back out there, I really need to be a voice and a good leader for this team to help us get over the hump a little bit and continue to put things together.

“And it’s still early in the year. We’re still figuring some stuff out, but I think we’ve started to get better.”And now that I’m back, we really got to take another step forward.”