While Charles Barkley thinks Caitlin Clark is receiving unjust scrutiny, an announcer appears to believe she received favorable treatment from at least one referee.
Clark and the Indiana Fever were in Emerald City to play the Seattle Storm Wednesday night, where they received their fifth straight loss to start the WNBA season. Despite the loss, Clark continues to generate fanfare, with Storm play-by-play voice Dick Fain calling the scene in Seattle “The most fun call I’ve had in a long time.” So fun that Fain couldn’t help but laugh at a referee failing to call what appeared to be a blatant foul on Clark.
This no-call is WILD pic.twitter.com/IAFEv1vver
— Myles (@MylesEhrlich) May 23, 2024
Late in the third quarter, Storm guard Sami Whitcomb was driving to the basket but was stopped by Clark. With Whitcomb appearing to have the edge, she was quickly wrapped up and driven to the ground by the Indiana Fever superstar.
After realizing there was no whistle, Whitcomb laid on the court with her arms out and a look of befuddlement on her face, while Fain and analyst Elise Woodward appeared even more shocked by the no-call on the broadcast.
“Watch this again, the no-call on the Caitlin Clark foul. You’ve got to be kidding me!” Fain said as he let out a hearty laugh while watching the replay.
Clark borderline clotheslined Whitcomb while attempting to stop her from getting to the basket. The announcers may not have wanted to come right out and criticize the official, but the shock and laughter from the booth was telling enough. It was a bizarre, missed call at best. It was favorable treatment for Clark at worst.
As Clark works through adjusting to the WNBA on a bad team, she was 6-16 from the field and 2-8 beyond the arc. Despite the poor shooting night, Clark impressively avoided picking up a foul during her 33 minutes on the court.
