WNBA upgrades hard foul on Caitlin Clark to a Flagrant 1

The foul occurred at the end of the third quarter of the Fever's 71-70 victory over the Sky on Saturday. After hitting a jump shot, Carter shoved Clark before she could receive an inbounds pass. The play wasn't reviewed and was deemed a common foul.

Per Philippou, Carter refused to answer questions about the foul after the game. The league fined Sky forward Angel Reese $1,000 for failing to make herself available after the loss and the team $5,000 for failing to ensure players comply with media policies.

Meanwhile, Indiana head coach Christie Sides posted on social media, calling out the WNBA for inconsistent officiating. 

Clark told Philippou, "I'm trying to not let the [hard fouls] bother me." 

While the WNBA is more physical than college basketball, Clark shouldn't have to deal with fouls that cross the line. Letting teams shove and push Clark, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft, without any consequences sets a bad precedent. It could also lead to injuries. 

The league doesn't want to lose one of its biggest draws. Sports Media Watch's Jon Lewis recently reported multiple WNBA games have exceeded the million-viewer mark after the league failed to hit this figure for nearly 16 years. 

Clark — the third rookie to reach 150 points, 50 assists and 50 rebounds through her first 10 games — played in three of these matchups.