Caitlin Clark’s Interaction With Ref During Fever’s Ninth Loss originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Indiana Fever suffered their ninth loss of the season on Saturday night after a disappointing 89-87 defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Sparks. Indiana’s three-game winning streak — which includes Tuesday’s Commissioner’s Cup championship win against the Minnesota Lynx — came to an abrupt end after the Sparks secured a statement win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday.
Caitlin Clark was out of commission again in this one as the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year sat out her fifth straight contest due to a lingering groin injury. There was some hope that the 23-year-old would be able to play against L.A. after being listed as day-to-day, but the team ultimately decided to err on the side of caution and have her sit out another contest.
Clark took on her usual role on the bench, supporting her teammates in Saturday’s game. At one point in the contest, the cameras caught the former Iowa star’s light-hearted moment with a referee. During a deadball situation, Clark can be seen attempting to high-five the game official as her teammates returned to the court.
i love her so much 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/H5VstpE7PH
— chris (@chrisclxrk) July 6, 2025
Based on her reaction, it appears that Clark mistakenly took the ref as one of her Indiana teammates. Both Clark and the game official ended up laughing as Clark sheepishly walked back to the bench.
Clark has been great supporting her teammates despite her extended injury absence, but there’s no denying that the Fever would much rather have her back on the court.
Her next chance to play would be on Wednesday as Indiana returns to action at home against the Golden State Valkyries.
Related: WNBA Blown Away by Indiana Fever Play Against Sparks
Related: Lexie Hull Steals the Show With Her Outfit for Fever-Sparks
Related: Fever’s Post After Ninth Loss Fuels Caitlin Clark Debate
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 6, 2025, where it first appeared.