“I had hoped to share a better update, but I will not be returning to play this season……”

With her Instagram post, Caitlin Clark finally confirmed the news no Fever fan wanted to hear, even if the writing was on the wall. That fall on July 15 changed everything, derailing not just Indiana’s plans but also part of the WNBA’s spotlight season. After missing 19 straight games with a stubborn groin injury and making multiple comeback attempts, she made the difficult decision to shut things down. Her second year was over before it ever truly had the chance to begin.

And what makes it sting even more is Clark’s history—she hadn’t missed a single game in four years at Iowa, nor during her rookie WNBA season in 2024. That was 183 consecutive games without interruption. Now, suddenly, injuries were writing the story for her. Three separate setbacks, three attempted comebacks, and barely five games played each time before the pain returned. Clark has always known her body and trusted it, so if not her, then who really failed her?

Fans argue it wasn’t just bad luck, but bad officiating, that cut Clark’s season short.

This was supposed to be the year she stepped fully into MVP conversations, and the stage was set, too. Clark’s passion for the game has never been in question. Everyone knows the fire she plays with, and yes, that same fire sometimes pushes her beyond the edge.

Last season, CC piled up six technical fouls, just one shy of suspension, but most stemmed not from rough play, rather from her frustration when calls didn’t come. As her former associate head coach, now Iowa’s head coach, Jan Jensen, once put it, “She always kind of had that little attitude.” That edge is part of what fuels her, yet in a league where she often absorbed more hits than whistles, it raises the question: Did that attitude cost her calls and, in turn, help limit her to just 13 games this season? We may never know for certain, but what’s clear is that there were plenty of moments where Clark and the officials weren’t seeing the same game.

The preseason that set the stage for Caitlin Clark’s tumultuous season

The Fever traveled to Atlanta, hoping to wrap up the preseason undefeated. But in a story that’s become all too familiar, Caitlin Clark picked up her first technical foul of 2025. So much for flashing the peace sign during the Bird & Taurasi show and claiming, “I already told Steph, two max,” when asked how many technicals she expected this season—turns out, reality had other plans.

Caitlin had to be pulled away from the refs by Sophie Cunningham, and cameras even caught her muttering, “No one cares. No one cares,” after the technical. And honestly, she had every reason to be frustrated. The whistle came in the second quarter on a play where she felt a foul should have been called on a bounce pass that Atlanta’s Bri Jones intercepted and turned into a layup. In exasperation, Clark slammed the ball off the stanchion—and that was all the ref needed to hand her a technical.

This season, the margin for error was razor-thin, but that makes sense only when the calls were consistent.

By the third quarter, Rhyne Howard barreled into Clark, sending her crashing to the floor. No whistle. No foul. Nothing. It wasn’t an isolated incident either. Just a game earlier, in her return from a leg injury against Brazil’s national team, Clark absorbed heavy contact possession after possession—yet the officials stayed silent. And in a way, those moments set the tone for what was to come in Clark’s season.

Did Caitlin Clark or the officials’ mistakes cost the Fever?

In their fourth game of the season against the New York Liberty, the Fever sat at 2-1 and were desperate to push their record to 3-1. With the clock winding down, they had one last shot to tie or steal the win. The ball was inbounded to Clark, who managed to get a shot off despite being clearly bumped by Natasha Cloud with just 1.2 seconds left. No whistle. No call. Even broadcaster Debbie Antonelli noted on-air that Cloud was “all over Caitlin Clark”. The Liberty won 90-88, but Fever head coach Stephanie White didn’t hold back afterward:

“I thought she got fouled. I think it’s pretty egregious what’s been happening to us these last few games”

While many sided with White, seeing yet another instance of Clark being denied a fair whistle, others argued that Cloud was well within her rights to contest the shot. But regardless of how you viewed that final play, what came next was far more alarming.

Shortly after the Liberty game, the Fever announced that Clark had suffered a left quadriceps strain—the first injury of her professional career. The setback kept her sidelined for more than two weeks, forcing her to miss five consecutive games and abruptly halting the momentum she had been building.

Drama Unfolds at Gainbridge Fieldhouse

In only her second game back from injury, Clark was quickly reminded of just how physical the WNBA could be:

Marina Mabrey jumped into the fray and confronted Clark before Tina Charles and the Fever players stepped in to break it up. After what felt like forever, the officials finally reviewed the incident. The outcome? Sheldon received a flagrant foul, while Clark and Charles picked up double technicals. Neither Marina nor Sheldon was ejected, mind you.

In response to the chaos on the court, Sophie Cunningham made her stance crystal clear. Later in the game, she clashed with Jacy Sheldon, which also drew in Lindsay Allen, resulting in all three being ejected. After the game, Cunningham didn’t hold back, sending a clear message about player safety and accountability.

“During that, it was just part of the game,… I think the refs had a lot to do with that. It was a build-up for a couple years now of them just not protecting the star player of the WNBA. At the end of the day, I’m going to protect my teammates. That’s what I do, and I’m a team player.”

And this fiery rivalry between the Fever and the Connecticut Sun was just getting started…

The Tearful Exit…

The fury of June 17 hadn’t faded. By July 15, both teams returned to the court charged and hungry. In front of 19,156 fans at TD Garden, Caitlin Clark struggled from beyond the arc. Every possession felt like a deep struggle, as the Sun’s relentless physical defense tested her at every turn, yet the whistles never came, leaving Clark and the crowd simmering in frustration.

By the third quarter, Clark’s frustration was impossible to hide. A video captured her being held back by assistant coach Briann January as she tried to confront a referee, while her brother tweeted, “Make no mistakes, this is one the reffing,” a post that has since been deleted. The tension in the arena was palpable, as fans and teammates alike watched the fire inside her collide with the limits of the game. Then came the cruelest blow.

Moments later, Clark had to leave the court in tears after aggravating her lingering groin injury. Since that day, she hasn’t stepped back on a WNBA floor, leaving fans, teammates, and the league alike waiting, counting down the days for her triumphant return next season.

Essentially Sports’ verdict

Are the officials to blame for players getting injured? Not entirely. Basketball is a contact sport, and when you’re pushing the same muscles day in and day out, fatigue is inevitable. But that only tells part of the story. With the introduction of the Golden State Valkyries, teams were suddenly forced to cram four extra games into the same stretch, piling on even more physical and mental strain.

With five more franchises expected by 2030, the number of games is only set to climb. Whether the WNBA will expand the schedule, potentially overlapping with the NBA, NFL, or other major American sports, remains uncertain. If it doesn’t, the risk of injuries is almost certain to rise. The responsibility now falls squarely on the WNBA and the WNBPA to find a solution, whether that means larger rosters, a longer season, or both, to ensure players can handle the added load safely.

Yes, WNBA referees are paid far less than their NBA counterparts, so it’s no surprise that the men’s league attracts more experienced officials. But the refs aren’t the ones escalating situations once flagrant or technical fouls are called. Mistakes happen, and inexperience can play a role, yet there’s only so much they can do to prevent players from getting hurt on the court.

Do you think WNBA referees bear any responsibility for players getting injured? Share your thoughts in the comments. We want to hear from you!