There were a lot of takeaways from the Indiana Fever’s win against the Golden State Valkyries on Saturday. Caitlin Clark couldn’t play the previous game, but against the Valkyries, she made a loud return with 22 points, four of her signature three-pointers, and a logo shot. All served as reminders of exactly what the Fever had been missing in her absence.
However, that wasn’t the only standout moment from the matchup. The other Clark moment viewers saw was her getting into a heated, physical altercation with Valkyries forward Janelle Salaün, which prompted fellow players to pull them apart.
Fever forward Myisha Hines-Allen, in particular, sprinted from the bench to insert herself between the two, a moment that WNBA analyst Rosalina Lee found particularly striking. “Myisha Hines-Allen sprinted out kind of like, ‘Hey, don’t mess with my teammate,'” Lee said.
Imago
May 22, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) dribbles the ball while Golden State Valkyries guard Kaitlyn Chen (2) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
From the replay, the altercation between Caitlin Clark and Salaün began when the forward flung her elbow toward Clark, who had tried to swipe the ball off her hand. Afterward, Clark stepped directly into Salaün’s face and mouthed, “Don’t do that s***,” as the two began jawing at each other.
Speaking in a video recap posted on her YouTube channel, Lee revisited the moment with additional context, highlighting Hines-Allen’s role in preventing the scuffle that ensued from getting out of hand. “This wasn’t really Myisha Hines-Allen’s night,” she said, “But I will say that the minute that Caitlin and Janelle got into that scuffle, Myisha Hines-Allen sprinted out.”
Hines-Allen played only 13 minutes in that game and registered 2 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist. Clark was productive; apart from her 22 points and four three-pointers, she also logged nine assists, two rebounds, and 7-15 made shots from the field.
Apart from the sequence between Clark and Salaün, which resulted in both players receiving technical fouls, there were plenty of physical moments in the game for the Fever guard.
She ended the game with five fouls, including a flagrant foul. Golden State’s 3rd-ranked defense (101.6 rating) forced the physicality, which Clark matched. In the end, Clark’s all-around impact helped power the Fever to a 90-82 victory. They have now won three games in a row.
Caitlin Clark Had No Idea She Had a Technical Foul in Heated Fever-Valkyries Game
Interestingly, Caitlin Clark didn’t even realize she had picked up a technical foul in the Valkyries game until a reporter asked her about it during the post-game press conference. When a reporter brought up the double technical fouls after the game, Clark was surprised, because no one on the court or the bench had informed her.
Responding to the question, she said, “Did I get a technical? Oh, no way. I could have gotten ejected, I should be a lot safer. Okay yeah. Guess I have some fines coming my way. And a flagrant. Wow. I’m not going to say anything else because obviously I got probably $1,000 worth of fines coming my way, but thanks for letting me know.”
The Fever-Valkyries game featured a staggering 50 total personal fouls, along with the two technical fouls and one flagrant foul that Clark was part of. Golden State head coach Natalie Nakase deliberately deployed a highly aggressive, physical game plan meant to disrupt Indiana.
Fortunately, Caitlin Clark and the Fever were able to match that intensity blow-for-blow. But it also disrupted the standard game flow, turning the court into a gritty battleground.
