What are some of Caitlin Clark’s on-court moments you could watch on loop? The logo threes? The smooth dimes? Sure, those are unreal but let’s be honest, it’s the fire. The jawing with refs. The unfiltered reactions. The “I’m not having it” energy. That’s so Caitlin. In just her first year as a pro, she was second in the WNBA in technical fouls with six. And she’s always been that way. The 23-year-old has never hesitated to let officials know how she feels about a call. Well, looks like that feisty streak might actually be genetic. 

Yes, her dad’s got it too.

But before we get into that, let’s rewind a little. Back in her Iowa days, Clark was already showing flashes of that same fiery edge. One of the most memorable moments came during the 2023 NCAA Women’s National Championship against LSU. In the third quarter, Clark picked up a technical for casually flipping the ball behind her back after a foul was called on a teammate.

Referee Lisa Jones later explained that Iowa had already received a delay-of-game warning, and Clark’s move counted as a second offense—hence the tech. The call sparked heavy criticism, and you could see the fire in Clark’s eyes. And that wasn’t the only time tensions ran high—Clark’s clashes with refs became a recurring theme throughout her college career.

There were even moments when frustration was written all over her face, clear as day. But, at that time, CC’s dad Brent Clark was usually seen yelling “Stop!” from the stands whenever Caitlin got heated with a ref. He was the calm in her storm. Fast forward to 2025, and….he’s not yelling “stop” anymore. In fact, the man just went full 180.

During the Fever’s preseason game against Brazil, ESPN’s Holly Rowe caught up with Brent mid-game. When she asked him what he’s learned about the WNBA during Caitlin’s rookie year, he didn’t hold back. “Well, I think there’s a lot of room for improvement there, particularly in the officiating,” he said. He also added, “If you make the game more fluid, people are going to like the product even more than it is right now.”

The basketball community loved every bit of it and was not shy share the reactions on Twitter.

Like Father, Like Daughter! Internet loved Caitlin Clark’s dad’s response

Ken Swift started the string saying, “Love Caitlin’s dad.” Who can blame Brent, though? His girl racked up 6 technicals in her rookie year, which costed her big- literally. The first three cost $200 each, the next three were $400 a pop, and had she hit number seven, boom…$800 fine and a suspension. Thankfully, she stopped just short of that dreaded number, but those whistles still stung. And most of them came in the middle of her trying to talk things out. So of course her dad feels the same way.

Another added, “solid dad interview Brent 🤣,” and that right there is the internet’s favorite genre—dads doing dad things. We’ve seen it before, like when Hailey Van Lith’s dad Corey pulled out a spontaneous dad-dance after her clutch three in a TCU game. Now, Caitlin’s dad has joined the club with his own viral moment. You just gotta love how they show up…fierce, honest, and totally unfiltered. 

And clearly, that energy runs deep in the Clark family. One chimed in with “that runs in the family.” Caitlin herself hasn’t exactly stayed quiet on officiating. Remember when she and her coach Christie Sides both got hit with techs during that 103-88 blowout against the Storm? She straight-up said, “I feel like I’m getting hammered.” So we can only imagine the rants the Clarks have had around the dinner table about the officiating.

Then came the comment that hit just as hard as Brent did, “That was the best fu-g answer.” While Brent could’ve played it safe with a typical media-trained line, he didn’t. He went all in, just like Caitlin does on the court. But even then, he threw in a little optimism saying, “I’ve kind of noticed a little bit of a difference [on Sunday], it looks like they’re really officiating the game like it should be officiated.” 

So next year can look different and there’s hope. One fan certainly wasn’t as hopeful, saying, “He should have said how the WNBA can’t stand their only chance for relevance.” But it reflects a sentiment that’s been floating around. Fans feel the league hasn’t fully capitalized on Caitlin’s stardom yet, even though she pushed the W to new heights in just her first season. Whether that changes in 2025 is a wait-and-watch game.

For now, about the techs, Clark has already declared her goal for this year is to receive no more than two techs and Stephanie White has made clear she can’t pick up momnetum-changinge ones. But she’s already been seen in preseason chatting with officials. So, we can’t really say anything. 

Let’s see if she keeps her promise!