On Sunday, the WNBA announced that Chennedy Carter’s hard foul on Caitlin Clark during the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever game has been upgraded to a flagrant-1. The incident occurred late in the third quarter and initially resulted in a personal foul without review. Although no punishment was announced for Carter, players can face suspension or fines for committing flagrant fouls.
In addition to this news, the Sky organization also faced repercussions for their actions during the game. Rookie Angel Reese was fined $1,000 for skipping her media interviews following the loss. The Sky organization was also fined for failing to comply with WNBA media policies by allowing Reese to skip her interviews. Despite these developments, members of the Sky team remained reticent to discuss the contentious foul on Clark. While Reese avoided her interviews entirely, Carter declined to comment, and head coach Teresa Weatherspoon offered only a vague statement about competition.
The Fever’s victory over the Sky not only marked their second win of the season but also their first at home. The free throw awarded to Clark ultimately proved to be the deciding factor in the game, despite initial calls of a personal foul without review. However, a longer clip of the incident revealed that Clark may have engaged in trash talk beforehand, potentially provoking Carter’s shove. The altercation between the two players had an impact on the game and ultimately led to Carter’s flagrant-1 foul upgrade.