Caitlin Clark’s overtime foul was one of the most scrutinized moments of the game between the Indiana Fever and the Atlanta Dream. Despite Clark’s visibly frustrated reaction, the biggest voices following the Fever’s thrilling win were from the media and commentators.
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The sequence itself took place with about 10 seconds left in the overtime period, when Clark was called for a foul on the Dream’s Rhyne Howard, who was shooting a three. Clark immediately asked the Indiana bench to call for a review, but even after the officials reviewed it after a challenge from Fever head coach Stephanie White, the foul stood. That sequence led to the Dream reducing the lead to just two, and several media personalities were not pleased. Leading this charge was veteran analyst Skip Bayless, who posted on X about the issue.
“How could that ref call that crucial 3-point foul on Caitlin Clark, then stand by it when challenged? THERE WAS NO ILLEGAL CONTACT. Just makes you wonder.”
Bayless wasn’t the only one critical of the foul call, with Indiana reporter Scott Agness completely dumbfounded by the logic behind the call, as he expressed on X.
“Huh? That’s a foul. I’m baffled. The officiating has not been good today.”
That sentiment was something that he and the commentators during the game were aligned on. The game was nationally televised, which meant that ESPN’s Ryan Ruocco and Rebecca Lobo were commentating live when the foul was assessed, with Lobo especially critical of the logic behind the foul.
“It’s a touch, and you don’t call that all game long,” she said during the game. “I will be surprised, Ryan, if they don’t overturn it here… you’ll see some fingertips on Rhyne Howard by Caitlin Clark, but it does not impact at all the balance with which Howard takes the shot. She’s just kind of on a fade a little bit. Watch this. It’s almost like fingertips on a keyboard.”
That clip of Lobo was posted to X by Fox News reporter Jackson Thompson, who highlighted that Clark was “livid after the unsuccessful challenge.” After the challenge was deemed unsuccessful, Ruocco noted that several Fever players and staff were unhappy with the result.
“Clark looking at us, wondering, on our angles what we saw,” he said. “Surprised that wasn’t overturned. As is Stephanie White and [Briann] January, who are communicating as such to the officials.”
Luckily for the Fever and Caitlin Clark, the foul was just a small scare. Following Howard knocking down all three free throws, Indiana had possession of the ball with their lead at two, which meant that once she was intentionally fouled, Clark had to knock down both free throws to ice the game. She sealed the win at the charity stripe, finishing with 26 points and nine assists on the night.
The Fever escaped with a late win, with help from second-year frontcourt player Makayla Timpson. Since moving to the starting lineup on August 8, Timpson has been outstanding. In the game, she notched a career-high 20 points, including the first three field goals from Indiana in the overtime period for six points.
Ultimately, Clark and Co. managed to walk away with a win, regardless of how controversial the foul call ended up being.