Caitlin Clark inadvertently hit in jaw by Jackie Young, officials uphold common foul

Originally posted on 5 GOATs | By Nick Schultz | Last updated Sep 11, 2024 11:26 PM ET

In the third quarter of Wednesday’s game, Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark got hit in the jaw by Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young. It looked to be inadvertent contact, but the officials still went to the monitor, where they upheld the common foul.

The play occurred with 4:13 to play in the third quarter as Clark missed a layup. Young went for the rebound and hit her in the face with her left elbow, leading to the review. However, the referees confirmed the common foul call, and play went on.

The Aces went on to finish off the 86-75 victory for their second win over the Fever this season. The two teams will play once again on Thursday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse as the 2024 regular season starts to wind down.

Jackie Young inadvertently popped Caitlin Clark in the jaw with an elbow on this play.

The refs ruled it as a common foul after the review.

Good call or bad call? pic.twitter.com/Wy7pjveCMH
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 12, 2024

Clark led the charge for the Fever Wednesday night, finishing with 16 points and six assists. Indiana tried to mount a comeback in the third quarter, but it wasn’t enough against the Aces, who also saw A’ja Wilson set the new single-season scoring record in the effort.

Indiana fell to 19-18 on the season, but is still heading to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The Fever secured that spot earlier this month when the Chicago Sky and Atlanta Dream both lost Sept. 3, securing a spot in the postseason.

As if that wasn’t enough, Caitlin Clark made more history the next day. She recorded her second triple-double of the season, making her the first rookie to have not one, but two in a year. Afterward, she acknowledged how much it meant for the Fever to return to the postseason, but specifically shouted out teammate Kelsey Mitchell for making it to the big stage.

“I’m just really happy for this organization,” Clark said. “Obviously, longest drought in WNBA history of not making it to the playoffs. Happy – I mean, look at these fans. They’re incredible. If it wasn’t for them, I don’t know if we’d be here.

“And I’m just really happy for Kelsey Mitchell, too. She’s been with this organization for seven years. Really, they’ve honestly struggled, and she’s had probably the best year of her career. Has played really, really good basketball. So I’m just really happy for her. She deserves this just about more [than] anybody. I’m happy for her.”

This article first appeared on 5 GOATs and was syndicated with permission.

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