In a heated matchup, Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark and Seattle Storm guard Victoria Vivians had a tense exchange during the Storm’s 103-88 victory on Thursday. The confrontation resulted in a double technical foul, but USC women’s basketball star JuJu Watkins praised Clark’s intensity, calling her “a dawg” on social media.
The incident unfolded midway through the second quarter when Clark hit a long 3-pointer over Vivians and celebrated with a stare down and a slight bump. This prompted the officials to intervene, with Clark’s teammate Aliyah Boston stepping in to separate the two players.
A video of the incident can be viewed here:
This technical foul marks Clark’s third in just her first nine WNBA games. According to league rules, accumulating seven technical fouls in a season results in a one-game suspension.
.@CaitlinClark22 is fired up! pic.twitter.com/6nPKTwSTYa
— Sports on Prime (@SportsonPrime) May 30, 2024
“Being competitive is who I am, sort of through my whole career,” Clark commented postgame. “I think at times there are ways I can probably channel it a little better, but that’s just basketball at the end of the day. That’s never going to change. I’m never going to lose that. I feel like I’m getting hammered.”
Head coach Christie Sides supported Clark’s fiery attitude. “She is a competitor, I love her fire,” Sides said. “We just gotta get better with the officiating. We got to get some of those calls.”
USC star JuJu Watkins made a comment after Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark and Seattle Storm’s Victoria Vivians exchanged words: “a dawg” pic.twitter.com/7s6sVWhKN9
— Isabel Gonzalez (@cisabelg) May 31, 2024
Despite the loss, Clark had a notable performance, scoring 20 points on 6-for-17 shooting. She also contributed three rebounds, nine assists, one block, and had seven turnovers. The Fever, now 1-8, will next face the Chicago Sky on Saturday, where Clark will meet fellow rookies Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso for the first time as a pro.
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