
Just before the season tips off, Candace Parker outlined a specific solution for referee challenges that can be fruitful for Caitlin Clark and her team going forward.
The Fever No. 22 frequently getting into referee banters is quite the recurring scene by now. And seeing Clark being repeatedly the foul magnet, Parker mapped out what strategy the team should incorporate.
“You have to learn how to play through that,” Parker explained to Aliyah Boston in a recent episode of her Post Moves podcast. “You and Caitlin have to figure out a way where you kind of take on her challenges. So, somebody’s messing with her… you’re able to take a foul…”
“if you ref steph straight up, that’s one of the hardest players to ref…you and caitlin have to figure out a way where you kind of take on her challenges. so like somebody’s messing with her…u able to take a foul or you’re able to kind of loosen things up”
— drafts (@drafts95452567) May 1, 2026
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Per Parker, it is how things are with Stephen Curry or Shaquille O’Neal, who are “the hardest players to ref”, and stopping them will “always going to be a foul.” And CC clearly falls under the same category.
So, to back up someone like Clark, Parker’s advice for Boston was to become like how Draymond Green is to Curry. Always ready to take a foul or being “able to kind of loosen things up.” More like, “taking timely technicals.”
And given the latest foul incident Clark was subjected to during a preseason game, Parker’s insights fell right on the mark.
The preseason game between the Indiana Fever and Dallas Wings could’ve ended a lot worse for the Fever than just a 95-80 defeat. And after getting away with an ankle injury, Clark voiced out her thoughts.
“I feel good. I just landed on my kneecap really hard,” she said, via ESPN. “I know there’s a committee of people that really wanted them [the refs] to start calling things. And I thought they did a great job of that.”
“Honestly, I thought the refs were great,” she added further. “And it’s preseason, so you’re probably going to see more fouls called. I expect that number to drop. But I think overall, it’s going to improve the product.”
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