Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark is once again injured following her exit from Wednesday’s 111-109 home loss to the Phoenix Mercury. The back injury which forced her to miss the entire second half of Wednesday’s loss is being overshadowed by the chippy play that occurred on the court.
In the aftermath of Monday’s game between the two which saw five technical fouls handed out, things got ugly in Wednesday’s matchup when Mercury star Alyssa Thomas fell on top of Clark as the two battled for a loose ball. Thomas, who’s known for her tough, relentless effort was caught on video putting in forearm into Clark’s throat which drew the ire of the Fever’s fans, coaches and teammates.
Boomer Esiason Says Clark Should Leave League
On Thursday Thomas was reprimanded and suspended for the one game for the incident. According to Clark’s fans, this has been a recurring theme since she entered the league in 2024. During Thursday’s episode of his WFAN radio show, Esiason, the former Cincinnati Bengals legend, had plenty to say about Clark and the way she’s treated on the court.
“But I think there is a petty jealousy, and she’s a straight white basketball player. And she is not being treated with any sort of respect whatsoever,” he said.
Esiason wasn’t done.
“If I were Caitlin Clark, I would seriously consider going to play overseas somewhere and get the royal treatment. … She’s a straight white basketball player. And she is not being treated with any sort of respect,” he declared.
The Maryland Terrapins legend Esiason believes if Clark were to leave the WNBA the league might crash and burn without its most marketable star.
Fever Head Coach Calls Out League
During Fever head coach Stephanie White’s postgame presser she made it known that she had Clark’s back. White also mentioned how the game is being officiated totally different than other players around the WNBA.
“We have a generational talent and WNBA superstar who had two cheap shots [against her] right there that weren’t called,” White said. “Absolutely unacceptable.”
“Absolutely disrespectful. We spent all offseason looking at officiating, and I still say the one thing that we keep asking for is consistency,” White continued. “[Clark] is not called the same way as everybody else is called. The fist in the throat is crazy. It’s crazy. It’s dangerous. … When you have these things continue to happen time and time and time again, eventually it gets frustrating.”
Fans Chime In
Esiason’s comments quickly brought out the masses via social media.
“There are hot takes and then there are molten lava takes,” a user said.
“Another day esiason says some dumb sh-t, low key racist ass,” another person said.
“You’d think she’s the only straight white female playing basketball,” someone else replied.
“I wish she would start her own league. Why send somebody that good overseas? Elevate the game of basketball with the best female players in the world right here at home,” another person quipped.
“WTF? What does being straight and white have to do with anything?” a person mentioned.
Can Fever Win Championship?
Despite their 10-8 start, the Fever are still considered championship contenders, and that’s in large part do to their dynamic trio of the Clark, center Aliyah Boston and guard Kelsey Mitchell.
Clark finished Monday’s win over the Mercury with 24 points and 9 assists. It marked her sixth consecutive game with at least 20 points and 5 assists, breaking her own record that she reached in the 2024 season, and matched earlier this year.
She’s also been on a heater lately, averaging 25.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game over her last six games. And while the Fever will likely have to turn to others while Clark recovers, the team is still only a championship contender if she’s in the lineup and making her teammates better while scoring herself.
