Chicago Sky HC Teresa Weatherspoon issues statement about Chennedy Carter’s flagrant foul on Caitlin Clark
During the Indiana Fever’s win over the Chicago Sky on Saturday, Sky guard Chennedy Carter committed a Flagrant 1 foul on Caitlin Clark, shoving her to the ground. Since then, Carter has received no shortage of backlash for her actions.
After the game, Carter refused to answer questions about Clark. However, she insulted Clark shortly after the contest on social media, writing “beside three point shooting what does she bring to the table man.”
Before the Chicago Sky met with the media on Monday, head coach Teresa Weatherspoon addressed the situation.
“Physical play, intensity, and a competitive spirit are hallmarks of Chicago Sky basketball,” Weatherspoon wrote in an official statement, per Jon Greenberg. “Chennedy got caught up in the heat of the moment in an effort to win the game. She and I have discussed what happened and that it was not appropriate, nor is it what we do or who we are.
“Chennedy understands that there are better ways to handle situations on the court, and she will learn from this, as we all will. As a team, we will grow together and continue to work hard to display strong leadership and set a positive example for our competitors, fans, and partners.”
Despite Carter’s hard foul, Clark and the Fever walked away with a 71-70 win on Saturday. In the victory, Clark tallied 11 points, eight rebounds and six assists while shooting 4-11 from the field and 2-9 from beyond the arc.
Christie Sides addresses fouls on Caitlin Clark
This incident isn’t the first time Clark has faced physicality since entering the league. After the game on Saturday, Fever head coach Christie Sides revealed how her team is addressing the physical play toward Clark.
“We’re just going to keep sending these possessions to the league, and these plays, and hopefully they’ll start, you know, taking a better look at some of the things that we see happening, or we think is happening,” Sides said.
“Just more happy that Caitlin handled it the way she did. You know, it’s tough to keep getting hammered the way she does and to not get rewarded with free throws or foul calls. She’s continued to fight through that. Appreciate that from her. Really, really proud of her for doing that.”
Although Clark escaped Saturday’s game relatively unscathed, she left the Fever’s game on Sunday with an injury. A trainer could be seen examining Clark’s ear on the sideline. Clark will have four days to rest before the Fever square off against the Washington Mystics on Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET.