Indiana Fever Fans Fume at WNBA After Caitlin Clark and Co. Suffer Shot-Clock Malfunction in Valkyries Game

Tonight, the Golden State Valkyries, perched in eighth place holding the final playoff spot, take on the sixth-seeded Indiana Fever at Chase Center. GSV has been neck-and-neck with the LA Sparks, who trail by two games, making a win against Indiana key. A victory could catapult Golden State past the Fever and push the Fever down to eighth. That is, only if everything falls into place. It’s not about revenge; the Valkyries have already beaten Indiana twice this season. This time, it’s about a court malfunction that has fans talking and debating, like never before.

It all started normally, with the Fever taking the court and beginning as dominant as ever. But as the Fever got possession after a missed shot from the Valks, the shot clock didn’t reset. With 9:25 remaining in the first quarter, the game was then halted for five minutes as the operations crew worked on the clock before play resumed. However, play stopped again about a minute later, when the shot clock once again didn’t reset after the Fever got possession. “Earlier today the Golden State Valkyries were delayed due to a technical issue with the shot clocks due to a power outage this morning… Game play has resumed, and these issues will be addressed accordingly,” the team shared in a statement.

Then? It took so long to repair that not just the crowd in the arena but the players on the court, too, were seen passing the time. The standout among them remained Kate Martin, though. At one point, she was spotted laughing and playing games with her teammate, Kaitlyn Chen, to keep herself entertained, while drawing smiles from fans who were recording the moment. Of course, it wasn’t just her, as even CC quipped, “We can’t play with that,” summing up the collective frustration.

So what was meant to be a fight for playoff seeding unexpectedly became a little bit of comedy on the court. But it wasn’t just the crowd or players who participated. Even the online audience couldn’t help themselves.

Fans blast W as shot clock chaos sparks delays…

When the news about the malfunction and delay came out, fans dived straight into the comment section, with one user writing, “This is so unprofessional, but what else is new with this league.” It’s no surprise Fever fans were frustrated. The glitches instantly brought back flashbacks of Game 1 of the 2024 playoffs against the Sun, when Indiana’s trademark up-tempo pace was repeatedly thrown off by shot clock malfunctions. In the first half alone, the clock failed to start on three separate Fever possessions, forcing stoppages that stalled their transition rhythm. To make matters worse, that was the same game where DiJonai Carrington caught Caitlin Clark in the eye without drawing a foul. The combination of the two made for a déjà vu that fans weren’t eager to relive.

“That’s called stalling for 30 minutes so that the Fever get completely out of rhythm… that was on purpose,” penned another user. Not 30 exactly, but the game stopped for a couple of minutes at first. But while play resumed with over-basket shot clocks off and portable shot clocks on the baseline floor to the right of each basket, it didn’t work. Officials then had to take a 19-minute pause. That’s when the players got time for other activities.

“I’m waiting for the pillow fight,” penned another user. Of course, 19 minutes of time to kill in the middle of a game isn’t easy. While Martin preferred to play games, CC headed toward the locker room. But it wasn’t the only thing she did. She even took time to talk to a San Francisco 49ers tight end.

“I am here for George and Claire Kittle,” penned another user. For CC, it wasn’t just about seeing an NFL star. She was making her way over to greet some familiar faces—fellow Iowa Hawkeyes. Waiting courtside were San Francisco 49ers star tight end George Kittle and his wife, Claire, who, like Caitlin Clark, once suited up for Iowa’s women’s basketball team. They weren’t alone either. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk and his wife, Kristin, were also in attendance.

But coming back to the issue, was it really a league one? This user explained it better: “Doesn’t this seem like an arena issue, not a league issue? Pretty sure this has happened in this arena during the NBA season too.” Yes, it did happen during a game where Stephen Curry was playing against LeBron James last year. “I’ve never seen that in my career really,” said Steph Curry, who finished with 31 points and six rebounds. “Usually, if something happens pregame, they have a backup clock or something.”

“This already happened in a Warriors-Lakers game,” opened another user. But this isn’t just about the NBA. Even before the men’s pro league, it happened in the W back in 2021. That night, the Mercury trailed by one point against the Lynx with 31.4 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

It was then that Griner scooped the loose ball and fired off a pass to Taurasi with 6.8 seconds on the clock. She dribbled once, twice, then behind the back before picking up her dribble and draining a clutch three. Game over, it appeared. But the clock still showed 6.8. It was a shot clock malfunction, and the refs used handheld stopwatches and video replay to determine whether the shot counted. It did, and the Mercury won. Well, it was one of the rarest of rare incidents, and after years, it repeated with the Fever. Though after a 19-minute break, everything seemed back on track, and the crucial game continued!