In a striking turn of events spotlighting just how popular WNBA star Caitlin Clark is, fans at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, chanted her name after she got benched during the Indiana Fever’s game against the home team, the Connecticut Sun.
On Monday, the Fever got crushed 89-72 by the Sun, marking the 10th defeat that Clark’s team has suffered this season.
In the third quarter, Indiana coach Christie Sides benched Clark after the rookie sensation drew her fourth foul. A player fouls out when she gets six.
Fans in the arena reacted by chanting, “We want Caitlin,” according to Indy Star reporter Chloe Peterson.
It’s rare for fans of a hometeam to root for an opposing player, underscoring the magnitude of the “Caitlin Clark Effect.”
Chants of “We want Caitlin” are starting to ring out here at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Clark hasn’t played since the middle of the third, when she picked up her fourth foul. pic.twitter.com/yU0HQDkh4H
— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) June 11, 2024
Before the game, the Fever’s coach had warned the team to defend without drawing fouls, the Indy Star reported.
“But Connecticut is the best team in the league right now, and it knows how to draw fouls,” Peterson noted.
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“Connecticut’s prowess in drawing fouls also led to foul trouble for the Fever,” she wrote. “Caitlin Clark drew her fourth foul of the game at the 6-minute mark of the third quarter, and she ended up sitting for the rest of the third.”
Sides showed her displeasure at the Fever’s dismal performance by benching not only Clark but three other starters for most of the fourth quarter.
The former NCAA scoring leader had just 10 points in a career-low 22 minutes.
With its latest loss, the Fever tumbled to 11th place (out of 12) in the WNBA with a 3-10 record.
Meanwhile, the Sun sits atop the standings at 10-1.
Clark fans shouldn’t get discouraged by her subpar performance on Monday. It was just one game in the first year of what should be a long career.
Indiana hasn’t even played a third of its games this season, so there’s plenty of time to turn things around.
As a reminder, Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant averaged just 7.6 points per game during his first season, during which he had 11 scoreless games.
And look how astonishingly Bryant’s career unfolded.
18-year-old Kobe Bryant made his NBA debut 27 years ago today.
It was the first of 11 scoreless games during his rookie season. He finished his career with a 60-point performance & 33,643 career points (4th most in NBA history) 💜💛 🐍
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) November 3, 2023
Caitlin Clark is facing a lot of obstacles — not the least of which is anti-white racism and invidious jealousy. That said, she is a phenom who’s revolutionizing women’s basketball.
Like other great champions, Clark will undoubtedly rise to meet every challenge that crosses her path.
