Monday’s matchup between the Indiana Fever and the Connecticut Sun was not a great one for star rookie Caitlin Clark. But as bad as the game was, a moment where Clark was mocked by a Sun player was perhaps even more embarrassing.
In the second quarter, Sun guard DiJonai Carrington was called for a ticky-tack foul on Clark when the rookie tried to drive past her.
Carrington was not thrilled with the call whatsoever, seemingly calling Clark out for flopping by throwing her head back multiple times in an attempt to mimic what she believed Clark did to get the call.
Dijonai Carrington mocked Caitlin Clark's "flop" 😳
(via @WNBARookieWatch)pic.twitter.com/v8akwx3BOs
— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) June 10, 2024
The call itself was a bit of a soft call, as Clark could have easily played through the contact. But regardless, Clark got the benefit of the doubt from the refs.
To be fair to Clark, every great scorer in basketball does their best to sell foul calls. It’s truly become an art form in the sport. Just watch the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Dončić, and LeBron James just to name a few players in the NBA who are excellent at tricking the refs into calls.
Still, developing the reputation as a flopper in basketball obviously isn’t the best thing for someone like Clark, who is undoubtedly the face of the WNBA as the league continues to grow in both popularity and ratings.
Carrington would get the last laugh in this situation, as the Sun would go on to blow out the Fever, their third victory in head-to-head matchups this season.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.