"Toxic family member": Fever fans bash Natasha Howard's sister for ridiculing Caitlin Clark's "body language" after major incident

Indiana Fever star Natasha Howard's sister, Chelsey Paige, questioned Caitlin Clark's body language after a major on-court incident went viral on Saturday. During Indiana's 102-88 win over the unbeaten New York Liberty, Clark was visibly frustrated after Howard didn't pass her the ball and attempted a layup following an offensive rebound on the point guard's missed shot.

Boston got the rebound and passed it to Howard. Meanwhile, Clark rushed back to the 3-point line to queue up another attempt. She was relatively open for a shooter of her caliber, as her defender was on the chase. However, Howard took the chance herself, making a tough contested shot in the paint.

Caitlin Clark raised her arms after Howard avoided passing her the ball and faced criticism online for her actions.

Howard's sister, Chelsey, also raised an issue with it. She retweeted, saying:

C.P.💜

@ChelseyPaige___

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Oh

Chelsey then replied to a fan in her comments, justifying her stance:

C.P.💜

@ChelseyPaige___ ·

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Nah. To think we gone pass a ball back out after we done worked for a rebound from your shot that you just watched, is insane. It was contested, but she also wasn’t sitting out there wide open to think she was gonna pull up an uncontested 3.

After standing her ground on her thoughts about this situation, Fever fans bashed Chelsey for her perspective. Here are some of the comments:

Lui

@luihrms

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Free Caitlin from a teammate’s toxic family member.

kb ⚡️

@kerrrr22

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We love Flash!! Nobody thought twice about her having a quiet game...

You're asking a 23-year-old with the weight of the world on her shoulders to have perfect body language 100% of the time?

Please don't spin this into something it's not & push all the fans away from Flash! 😭

eve

@wnbae_

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i think you’re really cool, but honestly, this just feeds into people’s agendas which can become a problem in the locker room. should CC have done that? no. is it that big of a deal if NH doesn’t mind or they talk about it? also no. she just wanted the best look for the possessio

Abraham Perez

@ayebeeham

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Nah don’t do this. its in the competitive nature, she was HOT and NH was contested. It happens

hellebells

@jumpymammoths

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Reposting a misogynist who only talks about CC to attack women & downplay her skills? I get you're upset, but it's ball. CC respects Howard. CC body language is about missing a play and & possible foul, not Tash. If you don't know that, you don't know this team culture or CC.

Caitlin Clark 22

@caitlinclarkcc

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This wasn't the first time Tash ignored her

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Natasha Howard Fever worst +/- -15 as Caitlin Clark dominates Liberty in comeback

Caitlin Clark dominated the unbeaten New York Liberty in her first game since May 23. Clark had 32 points, eight rebounds and nine assists on 55.0% shooting, including 7 of 14 from 3. The Fever avoided a two-game losing streak and ended the Liberty's unbeaten run to start the 2025 WNBA season.

All Fever players recorded a +/- of 0 except Natasha Howard, who had a rough night and was a +/- -15. She managed only four points on 1 of 4 shots in 14 minutes of action. Meanwhile, Sophie Cunningham, who also returned from a lengthy injury hiatus, had a box +/- of +31 despite scoring only five points in 25 minutes.

Howard has had an up-and-down run in her return to the Fever after 10 years. She's averaged 11.9 points and 6.4 rebounds, shooting 52.8%. Her shot selection at times has been questionable, but she's still learning the offense under Stephanie White, led by Caitlin Clark.

The team's .500 run in 10 games also has to do with the criticism against Natasha Howard, as every player has been under scrutiny. Nevertheless, with Clark back and in form, the Fever can hope to deliver better results and take pressure off underperforming veterans like Howard.

She remains integral to the team's tactics, especially on defense. As for her offense, Howard has shown flashes of what she could provide for the team, especially when others can't get going.