Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever picked up an important win on Thursday night against the Atlanta Dream, but the start of the season has been far from smooth, with a fiery exchange between the star guard and head coach Stephanie White in the previous game becoming a major talking point.
The Fever suffered a 16-point defeat against the Portland Fire earlier this week, with Clark struggling mightily and finishing with just six points on 1-of-7 shooting. During the loss, she had a heated exchange with White during a timeout, and even though both later downplayed the incident as part of their competitive spirit, it quickly became a major topic of discussion.
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WNBA legends Ty Young and Swin Cash weighed in on the exchange during Amazon Prime's pregame show on Thursday, arguing that Clark's body language was concerning.
"We see the body language, and with Caitlin being the head of the snake, you have to be coachable and your body language shows, and that's what we saw," said Young, a former Chicago Sky star. "You can say I love my coach and everything is great, but the body language wasn't showing that and, as former players, we know that is a big thing."
Cash, a three-time WNBA champion, went a step further.
"I'll take it a step further, Ty, that not only the body language, it's the response because we've been in those pressure-cooker situations where your coach is getting on you," she said. "But once you see the look in their eyes when they are fired up, then you have to make a decision as a player: Am I respecting what they are saying? I think their team as a whole, it's just the body language across any game they are down. That's the one thing I have seen, is that they lack the composure to be able to take that next step and get out of it."
Clark was asked about the criticism during a pregame interview ahead of the Dream matchup at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. While she acknowledged there was always room for improvement, the two-time WNBA All-Star suggested that her competitive edge is part of what makes her successful.
"It's something I can always work on...But at the same time, that competitive fire and that drive and that passion, that joy and that edge, that's what people come to watch. That's what they love," Clark said.
The former Rookie of the Year added that many of the greatest players to ever play the game were "fiery" competitors and that while things are not "always going to be pretty," and players may occasionally cross a line, that does not make them a bad person or a bad teammate.
Young and Cash may be justified in pointing out that the Fever have struggled to respond when trailing, but Clark is not ready to change her competitive fire. However, her willingness to acknowledge that she can improve and channel that intensity in a more productive direction is what matters most.
Despite battling illness on Thursday night, Clark directed that energy well and finished with 17 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds to help the Fever secure an 83-71 victory. Kelsey Mitchell led the team with 25 points, while Aliyah Boston added 19 as Indiana improved to 5-4 on the season and moved into third place in the Eastern Conference.
