We already know the kind of explosion it was when Caitlin Clark and Jacy Sheldon went one-on-one in their last game. Remember when Stephanie White shared, “Everybody’s getting better except the officials”? So, coming onto the court, a similar scenario was expected. And yes, it happened, but this time, it started courtside.

Even in this first head-to-head game since the fiery June 17 affair, which featured multiple fouls and ejections, nothing between the two teams seemed to have cooled off. And what made it worse was what happened in the third quarter, when Clark appeared to take exception to something a referee said to her during a pause in the action.

The broadcaster described it best: “She said, basically, ‘Are you kidding me?’ to Michael Price.” And yes, that wasn’t the end of it. The moment got so heated that Fever assistant coach Briann January had to physically step in to restrain No. 22 before she risked picking up a technical foul.

“And that was Briann January, who has played nine years in Indiana and is now on the staff. And that’s a live shot now of Caitlin Clark. She’s still upset and wants an explanation from Michael Price,” the broadcaster added. Cameras even caught Clark still arguing with the same ref moments later. But what made her so agitated?

It all began with 5:19 left in the third quarter when Damiris Dantas checked in for Aliyah Boston. Seconds later, the Sun began pounding the glass. Leila Lacan missed a deep three, Bria Hartley grabbed the rebound, fired a three of her own, missed, and got her own board again. The Sun weren’t converting, but they were hustling.

On the next play, Lacan took another shot, a 13-foot jumper, but came up short again as the Sun secured yet another offensive rebound, and after contact was made. Then? The officials called a Coach’s Challenge, but it was overturned, and the Sun kept their timeout. Well, then a quick jumper from Lacan brought the score to 54–51.

All the while, Clark had just five points on 2-of-8 shooting, including 0-for-4 from beyond the arc, with three turnovers already through three quarters. And for the Fever star guard, the frustration boiled over. Especially since earlier in the quarter, Tina Charles delivered a hard shot to Aliyah Boston that many believed should have been called a Flagrant 1, but the refs let it go.

And is it really the first time? We’ve seen this movie before, most recently in the Fever’s clash against the Atlanta Dream. Despite cruising to a 99–82 win, officiating again became the center of controversy. At the 3:08 mark, Boston was hit with an offensive foul, followed by a turnover and then a shooting foul that led to her fouling out with six personals. After the game, her frustration was crystal clear: “I didn’t even touch her.” Adding salt to the wound, Brittney Griner had executed something similar earlier and that went uncalled. 

As Aliyah argued with officials, Clark had stepped up, too, risking a technical foul in the process. Honestly, that’s nothing new. The Fever’s locker room has shown that they are standing for one another. 

Remember Sophie Cunningham’s jab at Jacy Sheldon in the last game? Many fans dubbed her Clark’s “guardian angel” for that moment. But yes, there’s no stopping Caitlin Clark. 

Caitlin Clark heads for bigger issues before the All-Star game!

Whether she’s lighting up the scoreboard or sidelined with an injury, Caitlin Clark has never been one to hold back, especially when it comes to officiating. That competitiveness has followed her from the classroom to the pros. From turning first-grade math into a full-blown contest to her college days at Iowa, where she famously barked at refs during a first-round NCAA game—prompting even her dad to shout “Stop!” from the stands—Clark’s intensity has always loud.

Well, that same fire was on display earlier this season when she was sidelined with an injury during a matchup against the Sparks. Despite sitting out, she stormed to the court’s edge to protest a call, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with head coach Stephanie White. Even broadcasters couldn’t ignore it, with one noting, “The competitive nature of Caitlin Clark does not go away even when she is not playing.” Sparks guard Kelsey Plum even chimed in jokingly, pointing at Clark’s sneaker crossing the line and saying, “Hey, T-her up!”

So it came as no surprise when tensions boiled over once again during Tuesday night’s rematch.

CC finished with 14 points on just 4-of-14 shooting and was visibly emotional as she walked off the court clutching her right leg, just weeks after returning from a previous leg injury. Having already missed 10 games this season, it’s clear her physical struggles, combined with the mental toll, are weighing heavily.