Caitlin Clark returned to the court for the Indiana Fever on Friday night after missing Wednesday night’s game with back soreness, and it’s safe to say that she brought her competitive fire with her.
Throughout her career, Clark has never been one to shy away from confrontation on the court, and she was at it again on Friday night as she taunted an opponent after drilling a deep three-point shot.
Midway through the third quarter of Friday night’s game against the Golden State Valkyries, Clark hit a deep three from the logo to tie the game at 48. Immediately after making the shot, Clark got right in the face of Valyries guard Tiffany Hayes, taunting her opponent.
While it’s not clear exactly what was said, Hayes did not seem to appreciate Clark’s words and chirped right back. As Clark got back on defense, she gestured back and forth between Hayes and herself, indicating that she was directly challenging her for the rest of the game.
Fans Have Strong Reactions
The incident quickly went viral on social media, sparking all sorts of reactions from fans, many of whom were not happy with Clark’s antics.
“She’s allowed to taunt and carry on but if it’s anyone else IMMEDIATE tech,” one fan wrote in a post on X.
“CC always acts so innocent but that girl talks so much [expetive] and then cries if anyone steps to her lol,” a fan criticized on social media.
“She’s only tough when your back turned or people in-between the moment she turns back at her she starts stepping back smh,” another fan added.
“Good shot. Stand on business tho . Don’t back up once she turn around,” someone else said.
“Remember when the CCC use to lie and say She has class and doesn’t talk trash on the court! And the WNBA made sure to quickly pan those cameras away when she was caught talking on the court!” another fan criticized.
While some were outraged at Clark’s antics, others came to her defense as they appreciated seeing the competitive fire from the superstar.
“You can see and almost feel that Bird competitiveness, or the MJ swagger. Those are the best comparisons I can think of. She’s got something special,” one fan wrote in a post on X.
“Sports in general needs more of this!” someone else added.
“There’s players in this life you never piss off because they’ll scorch you in a game. Jordan. Kobe. And now Caitlin Clark,” another fan wrote.
“My favorite version of 22!!!!” someone else said.
Another Dominant Showing
Aside from the fiery moments, Clark also put up yet another strong performance on the court, finishing with a team-high 22 points and nine assists along with a steal, a block, and two rebounds.
Clark has now scored 20 or more points in each of her five games with the Fever so far this season. She is also averaging nine assists per game and has yet to have fewer than seven assists in a single game so far this season.
So while she might be criticized for her competitiveness and antics during the game, she is certainly performing well on the court.
About Dave Kelsey
Contributing author to The Comeback.