Indiana Fever survive mid-game drama as Caitlin Clark prevents enraged coach from earning technical foul

Time of India

3 days ago

The Indiana Fever's narrow 81-80 loss to the Dallas Wings on Tuesday had no shortage of tense moments — but one scene on the sideline nearly overshadowed the game itself. Star guard Caitlin Clark, still sidelined with a groin injury, found herself playing a surprising role.
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It was keeping head coach Stephanie White from being hit with a technical foul during a heated exchange with officials.
Caitlin Clark steps in during sideline flare-up
The Indiana Fever entered the August 12 matchup short-handed, missing all three of their active point guards from a week earlier — Clark, Aari McDonald, and Sydney Colson — due to injury. With McDonald and Colson out for the season, Indiana signed veteran Odyssey Sims on a hardship contract. Sims had barely 24 hours to learn the offense before being asked to run the team against Dallas, a challenging task under any circumstances.
Despite the Wings' poor record, the Fever needed nearly everything to go their way to pull off a win. Instead, frustrations boiled over late in the second quarter. With four minutes left in the first half, White stormed down the sideline toward the baseline official, shouting over a call she clearly disagreed with. Clark, who was already standing near the same referee, physically held her coach back (per Sports Illustrated).
The scene had a twist of irony for Fever fans. During Clark's rookie season in 2024, the team jokingly formed the 'Caitlin Clark De-Escalation Committee' to keep her from racking up technical fouls. This time, the roles reversed, with Clark protecting White from crossing the line.
Caitlin Clark's injury update clouds Indiana Fever's playoff push
Clark hasn't suited up since July 15, when she suffered a right groin injury late in a game against the Connecticut Sun. She has missed 11 straight games and has yet to return to full practice.
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'No return to practice,' White told reporters Monday. 'She's been able to get a little bit more of her full-court running, with all of her body weight. It's really building up from doing minimal to then building some endurance to do longer periods of time. She's been able to do a little bit more on the court in terms of how she moves. But not into practice yet, no.'
Before the injury, Clark was averaging 16.5 points, 8.8 assists, and 5.0 rebounds across 13 games. Her absence has left a noticeable gap in Indiana's offensive rhythm, though the team has stayed competitive in the Eastern Conference thanks to Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston, and Sophie Cunningham.
Still, with only 12 regular-season games remaining, the Fever's playoff hopes may hinge on how soon Clark returns.
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