"There’s definitely some tension there": Fever fans fume at $214,466 Indiana star for refusing to feed Caitlin Clark

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever cruised to a dominant 99-82 win over the Atlanta Dream on Friday. The victory was overshadowed by growing frustration from fans toward veteran forward Natasha Howard. Howard, who is on a one-year, $214,466 contract, drew backlash after appearing to repeatedly ignore Clark on the court, refusing to pass the ball to her point guard.

Two key moments sparked the outrage. Just before halftime, Clark was visibly frustrated after not receiving an inbound pass. Later, in the final seconds of the third quarter, Howard advanced the ball herself, ignoring Clark, who had her hand raised and was calling for the ball, ultimately dribbling out precious time.

Fever fans were livid, taking to social media to express their anger at Howard for freezing out Clark. The three-time WNBA champion was met with heavy criticism as social platforms lit up with candid and sharp reactions from viewers who felt Clark was being deliberately overlooked.

"There’s definitely some tension there lol," a fan commented.

♥️👸🏽

@thisisme4now

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There’s definitely some tension there lol

A user wrote:

SadeChannelle

@SadeSoSilly33

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CC was so pissed, when she got the ball she dribbled it off her knee. She is so tired of playing with them. 🤣

Another said:

Lauren

@Lauren15407804

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Why why whyyyyyy is Natasha running the ball up when 22 is right there. I can't take this.

A user commented:

j campbell

@broke312

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Glad I’m not the only one that caught that! She absolutely waived her off and made herself the point guard!

Another wrote:

azure_octopus

@azure_octopus

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This team has both coach and player issues. Howard should be sent packing. Dumb.

A fan said:

Big Bank

@MrSmithMarrero

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Did I just watch Natasha Howard look Caitlin off while walking the ball up court even though she doesn’t know how to dribble. I blame this on Stephanie White for allowing role players to think they can look off star players

Difficult shooting night for Natasha Howard and Caitlin Clark

Both Natasha Howard and Caitlin Clark struggled with efficiency during the Indiana Fever’s win on Friday, despite the team’s commanding 99-82 victory. Howard couldn’t find her rhythm from beyond the arc, while Clark’s ongoing shooting slump from deep only worsened.

Howard finished with nine points on 4-for-10 shooting, missing both of her 3-point attempts but converting her lone free throw. She added seven rebounds, two steals and posted a +5 plus/minus in 24 minutes.

Clark, meanwhile, had an even tougher night offensively. The Fever point guard shot just 5-for-17 from the field, including a dismal 1-for-7 from 3-point range, and 1-for-2 from the free-throw line. Despite her shooting woes, Clark contributed nine assists, four rebounds and limited her turnovers to just two in 26 minutes on the court.