Clark continues to play well, despite her team’s struggles. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft finished with 20 points, nine assists and three rebounds in Indiana’s defeat Thursday night.

After the game, Clark issued a public complaint about WNBA officiating. Fever coach Christie Sides went in a different direction, though.

Sides announced a pretty blatant excuse after the Fever’s loss to the Storm. She says Indiana’s defense continues to struggle because the team hasn’t had much practice time.

Indiana Fever head coach Christie Sides argues with the referees before receiving a technical foul, Thursday, May 30, 2024, during the WNBA game against the Seattle Storm at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Seattle Storm defeated the Indiana Fever 103-88.

© Joe Timmerman/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

“I just think we’ve not had the practice time,” Sides said. “That has a lot to do with it. 103 points is just too many.”

 

That’s a bold excuse to make at this point in the season. The Fever had just as much practice time as everyone else before the season started.

Indiana will try and get its second win of the season this Saturday as Clark battles Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky.

HOT NEWS: 

LAS VEGAS ACES HEAD COACH BECKY HAMMON AN A’JA WILSON DEFEND CAITLIN CLARK

The narrative that claims that everyone in the league hates her is one far from the truth.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) celebrates after making a 3-pointer during the second half of a WNBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Sparks in Los Angeles, Friday, May 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Some NBA players have defended Caitlin Clark from what some have claimed is criticism of her. Others have said that people need to thank her for all the attention the WNBA has been getting lately as well as for all the benefits from advertising, endorsements, and other deals.

However, the WNBA players and coaches themselves believe that the whole narrative of people hating the number one overall pick is something that is not true and it only hurts the game.

Las Vegas Aces head coach, Becky Hammon was very clear on the matter, as she spoke on Friday, a day before their matchup against Clark’s Indiana Fever on Saturday night.

“We love Caitlin Clark,” Hammon said. “I think she’s amazing. I watch every time I possibly can. Our league loves her. We’re just doing our job. We’re gonna show up, whoever’s on the other team is on the other team, we don’t really care, we’re gonna show up and do us.”

Responding to the idea of people in the league not liking the young rising star and went to say that there is a lot of pressure on her after everything that has been put on her shoulders.

“This narrative of everybody hating on Caitlin Clark, and even the black and white thing, knock it off. It’s not there. It’s not there. So shut down the noise. And by the way, what is she, 22? She’s a 22-year-old woman with a lot of pressure. She’s not perfect, she’s a rookie in this league. Back off.”

The coach was not the only one to defend Caitlin Clark

After coach Hammons comments, A’ja Wilson also stepped up to the scene by saying that she’s “exhausted over the conversation” and can “only imagine” how Clark feels.

The rookie out of Iowa is averaging 17.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists through her first five games as a pro, however she is only shooting 40.3% from the field and is also turning it over 5.8 times a night. A rough start but she has a bright future ahead of her.

HOT NEWS: 

🚨ANGEL REESE SLAMS CAITLIN CLARK AFTER WIN AGAINST NEW YORK

🚨Angel Reese SLAMS Caitlin Clark After Win Against New York

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Angel Reese SLAMS Caitlin Clark After Win Against New York in a twitter update after the chicago sky beat the new york liberty

Angel Reese on narrative that Caitlin Clark is raising WNBA’s profile: ‘It’s not just one person’

The Sky rookie wants credit for the WNBA’s rise to be spread around to other players

Angel Reese has never been shy about speaking her mind, and in response to the perception that the WNBA’s profile is rocketing upward because of Caitlin Clark, the Chicago Sky forward had something to say in a since-deleted post on X on Thursday night.

“And that’s on getting a WIN in a packed [arena] not just cause of one player on our charter flight. #SKYTOWN,” Reese posted after the Sky’s 90-81 win over the New York Liberty.

Two prominent male athletes this week spoke up in defense of Clark after the Indiana Fever guard has faced criticism as she begins her professional career.

On his podcast this week, LeBron James said, “Caitlin Clark is the reason why a lot of great things is gonna happen for the WNBA.”

During Wednesday night’s “Inside the NBA” show, Charles Barkley said players should be “thanking” Clark for the league getting charter flights for road games, and he brought up “all the money and visibility she’s bringing to the WNBA.”

Angel Reese is averaging 12 points and 8.7 rebounds per game in her rookie season with the Chicago Sky. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
But while Clark deserves some credit for helping bring new fans and attention to the league, Reese made sure to point out in her pregame media availability Thursday that there’s more than one star in this season’s WNBA rookie class.

“It’s not just one person. I think people don’t realize that [because] the narrative out there is that just one person changing the game,” Reese said via the Associated Press. “It’s a lot of us — me, Kamilla [Cardoso], there’s Cameron [Brink], Rickea [Jackson]. There’s so many great players, and it’s been long overdue and just being able to see that our impact has been able to change the game.

“I love it for us all and we’re just going to continue to keep going.”

Clark’s Fever are 0-5 while Reese and the Sky improved to 2-1 with Thursday night’s win over the previously undefeated Liberty. Both players are having good starts offensively, with Clark averaging 17.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game, and Reese putting up 12 points and 8.7 rebounds through 3 games.

But to Reese’s point, Brink has been strong on the glass, averaging six rebounds per game as well as 2.3 assists. Her Los Angeles Sparks teammate, Rickea Jackson, is averaging 9.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in three games. Washington Mystics forward Aaliyah Edwards has 20 rebounds and five blocks through five games.

 

Cardoso, Reese’s Sky teammate who was selected third overall in this year’s WNBA Draft, has targeted a June 1 return after suffering a shoulder injury during preseason play. Seattle Storm guard Nika Mühl finally played her first game this week after missing four games while awaiting approval for a work visa.

Reese is doing what she can to elevate the league while elevating herself. She attended the prestigious Met Gala earlier this month in New York and this week was named as a part-owner of DC Power Football Club, Washington’s new women’s pro soccer team.

Clark will continue to get attention, thanks to her legendary college career, but as this WNBA season goes on, Reese and other rookies should start getting their due as their on-court performances play a role in shaping the future of the league.