Caitlin Clark could not even attempt a final shot late in the game against the New York Liberty on Saturday. Liberty guard Natasha Cloud stripped the Indiana Fever superstar of the ball just before the final buzzer sounded. The Fever lost 90-88 to the defending champs after Clark committed a turnover.
After the game, Fever coach Stephanie White did not hold back in her assessment of the officiating.
“I thought she got fouled. You know, I think it’s pretty egregious what’s happening to us in the last few games. You know, a -31 in free-throw discrepancy and I might be able to understand that if we were just chucking 3s but we’re not. We’re attacking the rim. The disrespect right now for our team has been pretty unbelievable.”
The free-throw discrepancy was glaring in the Fever-Liberty game. New York made 25 of 32 shots from the 4.5-meter line while the home team converted 11 of 15 attempts. In a largely close showdown, the difference proved costly.
The Liberty trio of Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu led the game in free-throw attempts, combining to make 19 of 24 shots. Caitlin Clark had the most free-throw attempts from the Fever, hitting 4 of 5 tries from the same distance.
Over their last three games, Caitlin Clark and Co. have attempted 56 free-throw attempts compared to 80 from opposing teams. The only time Indiana had more shots in the game was when they went 16-for-25 in the season opener against the Chicago Sky who finished 6-for-12.
Stephanie White asks for consistency in calls for Caitlin Clark and the Fever
According to Stephanie White, the Indiana Fever are off to a 2-2 start but with plenty of room for improvement. She recognized her team sometimes fails to maximize mismatches and hoped for better late-game executions.
Still, White doubled down on her comments about the officiating.
“It’s disappointing that it doesn’t go both ways or hasn’t gone both ways. … There’s a system to making sure that we can send stuff in and communicate our grievances, so to speak. I don’t know if I ever feel that system works. We’re not looking for a change. We’re just looking for consistency.”
Caitlin Clark’s team has 40 games left in the regular season. The revamped roster can still improve and develop under Stephanie White’s guidance. Cutting the disparity in free-throw attempts against their opponents will be a big step in the right direction.
Edited by Michael Macasero
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