Caitlin Clark has jokingly thanked the WNBA referee who gave her a technical foul in the Indiana Feve r's win over the Seattle Storm - after she hit the back stanchion after missing a three-point shot.
Clark had been frustrated with herself for missing the shot with the ball going out of play, with her walking up the stanchion and slapping up before going back to play on defense. But after doing so, the referee called a personal foul on Clark while explaining to the rookie why she'd been called.
Speaking after the game, Clark said: "The ref told me it was disrespectful to the game of basketball. It reminded me of the technical I got in college where I said dammit, where it’s like a personal frustration."
But despite Clark being called the foul with the Storm being given two free throws and the ball back, she had thanked the referee for motivating her further in the game.
Clark went on to dominate in an impressive win over Seattle, scoring 23 points with nine assists and five rebounds - with her taking over the game in the third and fourth quarter after the incident had taken place.
She then added. "I think he fired me up to continue to play a lot harder… so I want to thank him!"
In the same game, Clark had broken the rookie single-season record for assists while leading the league in the category in her first season in the league.
Clark has continued to dominate throughout her rookie campaign while averaging 17.8 points, 8.3 assists, and 5.8 rebounds while being one of the better three-point shooters in the league after becoming the first overall pick by the Fever from the University of Iowa.
The 22-year-old leads the league in assists per game and is on pace to break the all-time single-season total, which is currently held by Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas. Clark must average 7 assists per game from this point on to break the record.
After breaking the rookie single-season record, the former holder Ticha Penicheiro congratulated her, sharing a video as she said: "Congratulations, a record that stood since 1998. And you come here and you break it. Super proud of you. I know the work that you put in.
"A lot of people always talk about your shooting; I was always mesmerised about your passing, your court vision, and how you make your teammates better. So this record is in great hands, and continue to do what you do, continue to elevate your game, and the women’s game, and the WNBA."
Most Popular
Comments / 0