Over the weekend, Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark was caught on camera during a tense sideline exchange with head coach Stephanie White. The moment quickly became a major talking point across the sports world, leading both Clark and White to respond publicly and downplay the incident. Since then, though, Clark has continued to face criticism for her antics and apparent “anger issues.”
Earlier this year, cameras captured another heated exchange between Clark and Briann January, an Indiana Fever assistant coach who focuses on the defensive side of the ball. Now, another video has resurfaced and gone viral on social media, showing Clark in a burst of anger during a game at the college level.
Violent Outburst on Sideline
While Clark’s latest exchange with White has been the source of headlines around the league, one fan shared a video on social media highlighting another time Clark lost her cool on the sideline at the college level, and it makes the most recent incident with White look like nothing at all.
The video that resurfaced this week shows Clark, who played for the Iowa Hawkeyes at the time, in the midst of a violent outburst on the sideline during a game. In the video, Clark can be seen slamming a water bottle on the ground in frustration before standing up and violently punching the seat of the chair she was sitting on while her coach stands nearby watching.
Since it was posted on social media, the video has gone completely viral, racking up more than 800,000 views. Clark has also received some heavy criticism for her behavior.
Criticism Mounts for Caitlin Clark
Between the most recent incident with White, the incident with January earlier this year, and now this resurfaced video, criticism is mounting for Clark as fans have begun to express outrage at her behavior.
“Ok yeah this is a lot worse than I thought. This isn’t passion for the game rather than anger issues covered by her talent on the court,” one fan wrote in a post on X.
“Ever since I saw her fling a water bottle at the State Farm arena i made my decision on her ridiculous behavior. Not a fan, never will be,” another fan added.
“My parents would have made me stop playing basketball until I learned how to act,” another fan wrote.
“But the whole world said Angel Reese was the problem,” someone else added.
“This is the Caitlin Clark that many locals were familiar with. She refused to acknowledge young fans, threw fits or yelled & cursed during games, & yelled at coaches. But many in the media jumped to her defense & refused to show this darker side. They know who they are,” another fan wrote.
It’s worth noting that both Clark and White have downplayed the most recent heated exchange and made it clear that there is no bad blood between them. Meanwhile, Clark’s Fever teammate, Lexie Hull, also downplayed the on-court incidents and dismissed any concerns that there are lingering issues in the locker room.
Still, that has not quieted the criticism that she has received.
About Dave Kelsey
Contributing author to The Comeback.