Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark yelled in the face of referee Gerda Gatling after decisions went against her team in a 88-75 defeat by the Golden State Valkyries in the WNBA.
In the second quarter Clark, a three-time All-Star and one of the biggest names in women’s basketball, went for a lay-up and fell after contact from Valkyries’ Kiah Stokes. Clark appeared to be limping when she got up.
Team-mate Aliyah Boston was then called for a foul after Valkyries’ Veronica Burton bumped into her.
Using an expletive, Clark shouted at Gatling: “Give me a call. I got fouled five times.”
Clark, 24, left the court after the incident, but returned to finish the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
“You can’t miss calls like that,” she said.
“I had to play with a contusion on my leg for the rest of the game. It’s ridiculous.
“She [Gatling] said I initiated contact, which is fine. But you can’t knee me in the leg and knock me over.”
This is the second time in a month that Clark has complained about Gatling, while Fever head coach Stephanie White criticised referees last month for their officiating around Clark.
Clark was the number one pick in the 2024 Draft.