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The WNBA's number one overall pick, Caitlin Clark, was on the receiving end of a cheap shot from the Chicago Sky's guard Chennedy Carter during their June 1 matchup. An incident that has prompted former NBA champion Matt Barnes to speak up.
This incident occurred deep in the third quarter of the Sky vs. Fever matchup. With under 20 seconds left in the third, Carter hit a contested jumper. Immediately after scoring, she bumped into Clark, which sent the rookie to the ground.
Since coming into the league, Clark has been on the receiving end of a couple of hard fouls but her teammates' response to her getting battered on the court appears to disappoint Matt Barnes.
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"Caitlin Clark, she got cheap-shotted against the Sky," Barnes said. "Throughout the season she's been getting beat up. Hard screens, elbows, knocked down. It is what it is, she's not the first, she won't be the last. My issue and my question is where the f*** are her teammates at? Where are y'all at? Where are the rest of the Indiana Fever at?"
Barnes then pointed out that a team should take steps to protect their star. The former NBA champ also shared that he thinks the reason the Fever have struggled to get some wins this season is because the players do not rally around each other.
He concluded by saying that the physical plays on Clark will not end anytime soon and called on the Fever players to "have each other's back."
During his time in the NBA, Matt Barnes was known as a team's enforcer. He did not hesitate to get in the face of an opposing player if he felt the need to defend a teammate. Perhaps someone who has a similar mentality to Barnes is exactly what the Fever need to add to their roster to protect Caitlin Clark.
Caitlin Clark talks about the physicality in the WNBA
Professional athletes have a unique way of welcoming rookies into the fold, especially those who are as highly touted as Caitlin Clark. That warm welcome often involves hard fouls, physical plays and in some situations, cheap shots.
The Indiana Fever rookie, who has played in ten regular season games so far, is no exception. Opposing players haven't been afraid to play Clark physically and she has definitely been feeling it.
According to Clark, this is simply part of the game and that isn't going to change. However, she also admits to feeling like she is "getting hammered" when she is out on the court.
Clark also admitted in a different interview that the play Carter made against her in the Sky vs. Fever matchup was not a basketball play. However, she displayed her physical and mental toughness by simply playing through it and not retaliating.
