Caitlin Clark admits feeling bad for her Indiana Fever teammates

Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark has broken her silence over the controversy surrounding Phoenix Mercury veteran Alyssa Thomas.

On Friday, Clark addressed Thomas’ Flagrant 2 foul on her, which led to the six-time All-Star’s one-game suspension. The WNBA punished Thomas for driving her fist into Clark’s throat during their game on June 24. The Mercury star served her suspension in Phoenix’s next game.

According to Clark, there is no doubt in her mind that it was a flagrant foul, even though the referees didn’t call it during the game. The former WNBA Rookie of the Year, however, also criticized the negativity and hate directed at Thomas after the incident. This is after the 34-year-old revealed that she had received death threats from fans.

Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) scrambles to get up over Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) — Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas (25) scrambles to get up over Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark.

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark addresses recent drama

Clark had a lot to say as she spoke to reporters on Friday. One particular subject she discussed is how this entire saga has become a distraction from the game.

The 24-year-old isn’t happy that the media blew this issue out of proportion.

“It’s a disservice to my team, but it’s also a disservice to the other teams in this league and other players in this league,” she said. “There’s so much amazing talent, and there’s so many amazing players that are playing at an incredibly high rate.

“I remember, I think it was Sunday or Saturday, whatever day it was, I remember watching them discuss it on TV. I didn’t know they were just gonna discuss it. … And I honestly felt bad for the players that were playing in the games those days.

“Also, I feel bad for my teammates. They played on (Saturday), and they dominated, and they played really well. And nobody wanted to talk about that. They were just worried about everything else.”

Clark was referring to Indiana’s 111-87 win over the Los Angeles Sparks on June 27. It was a crucial bounce-back victory for the Fever after their contentious loss to the Mercury three days prior.

More importantly, Clark was out of action for the game due to a back injury. The Fever pulled through and secured a big win without their cornerstone superstar.

Clark is adamant that her teammates deserve much more credit than they received, and she made sure to point that out as soon as she had the chance.