INDIANAPOLIS — When the final horn sounded Saturday, Caitlin Clark didn’t want to accept it. Trailing by two points with 2.2 seconds remaining, the Indiana Fever star attempted what would’ve been a potential game-winning 3-pointer. But before she could even get into her upward shooting motion, New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud poked the ball free. As it bounced down the lane and into the arms of Breanna Stewart, the Fever’s final chance to knock off the defending WNBA champs bounced away with it.
The Liberty held on for a dramatic 90-88 victory at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, and as the Fever’s second straight home loss sank in, so did Clark’s anger. Arms wide and mouth agape, Clark made a beeline toward the nearest official, Ryan Sassano, and yelled at him as he walked in the opposite direction. When the refs didn’t acknowledge her grievances, she pleaded with her coach, Stephanie White, as White directed her toward their locker room.
It was there, away from the mics and cameras, where Clark likely unleashed her full frustration about Saturday’s late-game officiating that was sure to fuel debate. White made sure to grab a few more headlines when, after a despondent Clark said “I don’t know” about what happened on the final play, the Fever coach sounded…
