Last season, Caitlin Clark ended her rookie season with 6 technical fouls. But she isn’t called the face of the franchise just for all the offensive power, showmanship, and the eyes she brings, but because she stands up for what she believes in. And a few of those technical calls? She got them for calling out the bad officiating. Meanwhile, their then-HC Christie Sides stood on the sidelines, waiting for the No. 22 point guard to calm down. Even the fanbase wanted Sides to show up for her team but it was, as they said, “too little too late.” However, this season the new HC Stephanie White brings in the same fire as their reigning league ROTY. Which, well, can be a problem at times.

With 5:40 left in the game and Fever clearly on the winning end, Kirsten Bell of the Aces wrapped Kelsey Mitchell’s hand during Indiana’s offensive run. When the referee didn’t blow the whistle, White took it on herself to call the foul, throwing her hands in the air, yelling about the same. However, nothing came of it. In that very play, Sydney Colson went in for a three pointer right in front of White but Aces’ Aaliyah Nye didn’t give the No. 51 space to land, which again didn’t sit well with the Fever head coach who again threw her hands in the air calling for the foul.

Right then, the camera shifted to Caitlin Clark on the bench clapping with a wide grin before giving White a high-five. Reason? White caught a technical foul. Emotions were high and White again stood up for “Bad officiating is bad officiating.” As for Clark, she didn’t just stop at the high five or the long grin or 5-second-plus applause for the head coach, she made sure her followers knew about what White had done.

When ESPN’s official Instagram account shared the video with “Caitlin gave coach a high five 😅.” Even Caitlin Clark broke her silence, re-posting the clip on her Instagram story with the caption, “Awesome job coach.” 

During the timeout, announcer of the game Debbie Antonelli reasoned, “I think Stephanie White was punching the air and yelling foul, and she’s done it a couple of times. I think that’s probably why the officials decided to T her up right before the break… Sending the message is I think what she’s doing.” And Pat Boylan couldn’t help but laugh out loud at Clark’s reaction.

That really tells you all about Caitlin Clark having her squad’s back, on or off the court. While playing or while sidelined, Clark getting into heated discussions with the referees is nothing new. But she has also started supporting her teammates on the fines. Remember when she offered to pay the fine imposed on Aliyah Boston? It was back when refs hit Caitlin Clark with a Flagrant 1 for a hard foul on Angel Reese in their last matchup with Chicago. In that situation, Aliyah Boston jumped in as peacemaker but ended up picking an offsetting technical along with Reese.

But Clark was so grateful for Boston having her back that she said, “I got it for you, don’t worry. It’s real hefty.”  The “real hefty” remark was a sarcastic one. Caitlin Clark knew that the WNBA’s tech fines start at $200 for the first three before going up. But that wasn’t the only time Clark found herself footing the bill. Turns out, picking up fines from sidelines is starting to become a bit of a side hustle.

Caitlin Clark’s Got the Tab…

After the Aces win, a reporter asked head coach Stephanie White if she felt the officiating was unfair. It was a valid question, especially after she got hit with a late technical foul. But White, who’s never been afraid to call out referees, made it clear her outburst was strategic. “I don’t know about frustrations boiling over as more to just making a point,” she told Indiana beat reporter Scott Agness postgame.

Anyone who is familiar with White’s coaching style knows that she won’t stay quiet about bad calls. And when asked who’d be paying her fine, she laughed and revealed: “Caitlin said she’s got me though.” So how’s Clark covering it? That’s where it gets good. “She just got a bonus,” referring to the $30,000 cash (plus $5,000 in crypto) each Fever player pocketed after winning the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup earlier.

Caitlin Clark, who sat out the championship game with a groin injury, still cashed in on her full share. Including her part of the extra $120,000 crypto pool. The timing couldn’t have been sweeter. While WNBA players get fined $200 per technical (for the first three, then it climbs). Though it’s unclear if coaches face the same penalty structure. But it doesn’t matter, because Clark’s got White’s back, both on principle and with her wallet.