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WNBA Facing Backlash for Treatment of Star After Caitlin Clark Incident
© Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever have finally returned to the court after a long WNBA offseason, improving their preseason record to 2-0 after Sunday's win over Brazil.

Clark instantly backed up her popularity with her play in 2024, earning All-WNBA first team honors and winning Rookie of the Year.

But Clark has also become known for her intense competitiveness, getting into a few spats with players around the league. The most popular incident was with former Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter.

During the Sky’s narrow 71-70 loss to the Fever on June 1, Carter drew a flagrant foul after delivering a hard shoulder that sent Caitlin Clark to the floor.

Despite the controversy, Carter had an impressive season with the Sky, averaging 17.5 points and 3.1 assists. Yet, after her contract expired in 2024, no WNBA team has picked her up.

Instead, Carter joined the Adelitas De Chihuahua of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional Feminil (LNBPF). In her first appearance in the Mexican women's basketball league, the former Texas A&M star finished with 16 points, six rebounds and 10 assists, proving she can still play at a high level.

After seeing Carter’s debut stat line in the LNBPF, fans expressed frustration with the WNBA for how she’s been treated, especially since she was in All-Star consideration last season but went unsigned. They took to social media to leave their thoughts.

"This is a shame @WNBA," one fan wrote.

"Damn Shame they black balled her," added another.

"Damn shame she's not in the W," said a third.

"should be in the w this still crazy to me i guess we will find out what happened one day but wish her the best," commented a fourth.

"Wait shes not in the Wnba any more bc she bumped into Cait Clark??? Cmon she has mad potential," questioned a fifth.

"How can she work well overseas but blackballed by the WNBA smh," asked a sixth.

After the Sky traded away starting guard Marina Mabrey to the Sun, Carter took over the starting role and excelled, leading the team in scoring. But her antics on and off the court may have kept her out of the WNBA, for now.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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