Caitlin Clark Criticized Herself For Emotional Reaction to Referees

Fever guard Caitlin Clark spoke out about her emotional reactions to the referee's performances on Friday.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts to a call Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Minnesota Lynx at Gainbride Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Lynx defeated the Fever, 99-88. / Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Indiana Fever suffered their first loss in six games on Friday, as they were defeated by the Minnesota Lynx 99-88 at home; marking their first loss at Gainbridge Fieldhouse since July 10.

It was a frustrating night for the Fever. Not only were they pushed to the brink by a fundamentally elite Lynx team, but Caitlin Clark and company appeared to believe they were also battling the referees.

The game's third quarter best represents this. Indiana forward Aliyah Boston got a technical foul for jawing at a referee less than 90 seconds into the quarter, and Clark cost her team a possession for laying on the ground, seemingly upset about a no-call, while the Lynx pushed in transition with a bit over two minutes to go.

Caitlin Clark admitted she let her emotions get the better of her on Friday against the Lynx

"I think I could have done a little bit better job controlling my own emotions."

This was probably the low point of the night as Minnesota scores after Clark lays on the ground pic.twitter.com/XDoO7s3AKu

— Jacob Rude (@JacobRude) September 7, 2024

While Clark probably had a good case for a foul on that play, she admitted that she let her emotions get the better of her during Indiana's postgame press conference.

"Yeah, I think there's definitely a line," Clark said of her in-game passion potentially becoming detrimental. "I thought it was frustrating, I thought I got fouled a couple times there in the second half on midrange jump shots. And... it happens. Sometimes they get called, sometimes they don't. It is what it is."

She continued a moment later by saying, "I think I could have done a little bit better job of controlling my emotions. But I think it just started bad for us and continued to snowball. And that's something we have to control a little but better.

"But yeah, I think there's a line, and sometimes your passion, your emotion, can get to ya," she added. "But that's never [anything] I would ever change, or anybody on our team would change."

Caitlin Clark on getting fouled, not getting calls, settling too much for mid-range jumpers, controlling emotions:

"Sometimes your passion/emotion can get to you but that's never something I'd ever change"#WNBA #FeverRising pic.twitter.com/Vnfa9oU2Un

— Ashwin (@Sudharsan_ak) September 7, 2024

Fever head coach Christie Sides added of Clark's emotion, "She’s just so passionate. When she is upset or mad, we’ve been working on trying to figure out how to get past those moments. I was worried she was going to pick up a [technical foul]... she’s gotta learn that in those moments, I need my point guard to have a cool head.

"If it’s not a foul call you thought, you gotta get back," Sides concluded.

Clark is right in saying that nobody would want to take that passion and emotion out of her game. But she's also right in saying it would be wise to reel that passion in at times.