WNBA
Caitlin Clark ignores coach before final shot
Fans of Fever were not pleased. While some were angry at Clark, others went after Sides for losing a 15-point lead. Some were shocked when Angel Reese, who led the Sky to an 89-88 victory with 25 points and 16 rebounds, was able to overpower the Indiana defense.
Clark’s departure from the huddle with 0.5 seconds remaining and her team behind by one point seemed to wipe out any trust and positive energy that had been built up during Indiana’s previous four-game winning streak.
During the timeout, Sides could be seen on the ESPN broadcast inquiring which player had a specific task.With a dramatic shrug of her shoulders and rolling of her eyes, Clark seemed to be saying, “It doesn’t matter.”
The fierce athlete has previously been seen on camera tense with coaches, umpires, and teammates during games. Her will to succeed, however, was one quality that was never questioned. Fans saw Clark “give up” when her team still had a chance to make a game-winning shot, which raised serious concerns about more serious problems.
Fans sound off on Clark-Sides coaching drama
A disapproving fan attacked Clark and Sides on social media, saying, “That attitude right there gets you benched with a winning coach and causes your teammates to not want to play with you.” “You never give up as long as there’s a tick on the clock.”
“She stated that it is irrelevant. Not even enough time to catch and shoot, let alone get off a shot. The on-air pundits were even saying it “One of Clark’s supporters defended the No. 1 WNBA Draft pick on X, the defunct Twitter platform.
As one user put it, “Maybe this was the game she realized some of her teammates just sucks and can’t be relied upon in the clutch.” Others attempted to place the blame elsewhere.
Several basketball fans called Caitlin “disrespectful” and a “whiner,” likening her to LeBron James’ contemptuous behavior toward former Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham. If things doesn’t change, Sides’ story might end similarly to that of the LA coach managing a superstar.
