Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers have already become two of the WNBA’s best players, giving rise to a must-watch rivalry. Naturally, their tense exchange during their last faceoff generated a lot of attention, and for one WNBA legend, the culprit behind the situation was easy to name.
During the August 26 episode of the Post Moves podcast, Candace Parker took the time to directly address the situation. She acknowledged that Clark, who was agitated, needed to control her emotions, but also explained she understood why the Indiana Fever superstar had become frustrated.
“I kind of blame the refs a little bit because it’s like if you don’t hear a whistle, and obviously Paige was trying to foul,” she told co-host Aliyah Boston.
“She’s fouling and then she fouls again. And I feel that a little bit. I mean obviously Caitlin, come on man. But at the same time the refs didn’t call the first one. I would have been like Paige though too. I’d been like, ‘Calm down, I’m trying to foul you.'”
During the game between the Fever and the Dallas Wings on August 20, with about 10 seconds left on the clock in the second quarter, Bueckers attempted to foul Clark by grabbing her arm to halt the possession before halftime.
As Bueckers tried to finish the foul, it visibly irritated Clark in the moment. Then, both teams made their way toward the tunnel, and Clark flung the ball downcourt, and it sailed close enough to Bueckers’ head to turn heads. Words passed between the two guards right there on the floor, though the broadcast mics never picked up what was actually said.
Still, as Parker mentioned, cameras caught Bueckers appearing to mouth “calm down.” Amazon Prime Video’s angle didn’t give a clean view of who exactly Bueckers was talking to, but that hasn’t stopped fans online from making up their minds about it.
The friction, though, didn’t fade with the half. Even after Bueckers picked up a personal foul on the play, the edge between the two carried into the third quarter. With 7:55 remaining, Bueckers fouled Caitlin Clark again. Bueckers then pushed back on the call to the referees, and what started as a personal foul turned into a technical.
After the game, though, Clark focused on Bueckers’ ability, praising her while choosing not to comment on the exchange.
“Obviously, she’s an incredible player. [She] makes it really hard on us defensively… Paige is a tremendous player,” Clark told reporters during a postgame media availability. “She takes what the defense gives her; she doesn’t force anything; she’s smooth; she finds the open teammate. So she’s just a really tough guard.”
That said, for Parker, the focus shouldn’t be on Clark or Bueckers. Instead, the blame is on the officials, and her words raise yet another question in the league’s ongoing debate around officiating. And she had a point; perhaps a quicker whistle could’ve prevented the entire confrontation.
Trending Articles
- 17-Year-Old High School Quarterback Dies After Suffering Game Injury
- “Has The Power To Demand a Coaching Change”: WNBA Analyst Offers Unfiltered Opinion on Caitlin Clark as League Face Growing Controversies
- NFL Hands Vikings WR Strict Punishment Over Substance Abuse Policy Violation
- ‘I Didn’t Do Anything’: Wyndham Clark Defends Controversial Move at BMW Championship Amid Scrutiny
- Toronto Tempo Temporarily Suspend Contract of 5’10” Guard Set to Represent Belgium at FIBA World Cup
The post “I Blame the Refs”: WNBA Legend Offers No Filter Over Caitlin Clark's Tense Exchange With Paige Bueckers appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Leave a Comment