"Why doesn’t Caitlin Clark get SGA’s whistle" - WNBA fans slam refs over controversial call in Fever’s narrow loss to Liberty

After the final buzzer sounded at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday, Caitlin Clark pleaded with officials for a call on Jonquel Jones. With just 2.9 seconds remaining on the clock, Sophie Cunningham inbounded the ball to Clark, who performed a rip-through and dribbled left before losing the ball just moments later.

Immediately, she turned to the nearest official, asking where the foul call on Cloud was.

While the broadcast angle showed the play from behind, with the players' bodies obstructing the view of the moment of contact on the ball, fans were quick to debate the no-call on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Considering there has been tons of discourse surrounding what some fans believe to be a generous whistle for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, talk of the no-call in Saturday's Liberty-Fever game was quick to take off.

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Some fans believed that a foul should have been called on Jonquel Jones:

Others argued that, upon seeing the replay footage from a different angle, the referees got it right.

The loss dropped Indiana to 2-2 this season, with wins over the Chicago Sky and Atlanta Dream, and losses to the Dream and the Liberty.

Looking at Caitlin Clark's performance in Saturday's loss to the New York Liberty

Caitlin Clark struggled to find her shot in Indiana's win over the Atlanta Dream on Thursday.

Through 32 minutes of action, Clark scored 11 points, her fewest of the season, and logged four rebounds and six assists. Additionally, the game marked her first since 2022, her sophomore year at Iowa, that she failed to knock down a single 3-point attempt.

On Saturday, when she and the Fever collided with the reigning WNBA champs, Caitlin Clark's shooting woes continued. Her first 3-pointer came during the third quarter as she drew an and-1 call from beyond the arc, with her second being a deep three to put Indiana up eight at the end of the quarter.

Despite that, and an 18-point, 10-assist double-double, Clark shot just 2-11 from 3-point land over 38 minutes of play.

The growing pains aren't something unexpected in Indiana. Following Thursday's win over the Dream, Clark spoke with members of the press about the team needing to find familiarity with one another after a big offseason that saw the franchise add several standout veterans to their Clark-Aliyah Boston-Kelsey Mitchell big three.

The Fever will have a chance to get back in the win column on Wednesday when they collide with the Washington Mystics on the road.

About the author

Evan Bell is a journalist specializing in the NBA and NHL at Sportskeeda, whose love for the game stems from a childhood spent watching the Chicago Bulls. He has been there through their highs and lows, from the Jordan era to the exciting Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah years.

Evan finds the 82-game season and the intensity of playoff basketball exhilarating, and he also revels in the offseason drama. Phil Jackson stands out as his favorite coach, whom he admires for his composed leadership and success in managing dynamic personalities like Dennis Rodman.

To deliver top-quality content, Evan fact-checks information while diligently keeping up with the action year-round.

When he's not writing, Evan follows tennis and Greek football, and also plays basketball and tennis.

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Edited by Ribin Peter