The Indiana Fever came up just short on Saturday, falling 90-88 to the defending WNBA champion New York Liberty in a tightly contested battle. But while the scoreboard showed a two-point margin, the headlines after the game focused squarely on the officials—and one of the league’s rising stars.
With the Fever trailing by two in the final seconds, rookie phenom Caitlin Clark took possession, looking to either tie the game or pull off a dramatic win. But as she made her move, Liberty guard Natasha Cloud swiped the ball away. No foul was called, despite Clark’s visible frustration and immediate appeal to the referees.
The no-call quickly lit up sports media, igniting fierce debate among fans and analysts alike. During a Sunday segment, CBS New York sportscaster Steve Overmyer weighed in with his take on the decisive play.
“On the final play, Natasha Cloud comes up with the game-winning steal. Was it a foul? Take a closer look,” Overmyer said as a replay rolled. “She got all ball. Clark tried to sell it like she got hit by a sniper, but there was no foul, no call.”
The comment—blunt and pointed—added fuel to the fire of an already heated conversation. While some viewers appreciated the candor, others felt it was an unnecessary jab at a player who’s already become a face of the league.
Clark wasn’t the only Fever player involved in controversial moments. In the closing minutes, Cloud also blocked a shot by DeWanna Bonner, which some observers believed involved contact that went uncalled. Once again, the refs let play continue.
Fever head coach Stephanie White didn’t hold back in her postgame comments. “I thought it was egregious, honestly. I thought it was obvious,” White said of the non-call on Bonner’s shot.
Earlier in the game, Indiana guard Lexie Hull was called for a foul while defending Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu. The Fever were unable to challenge the ruling, having already used up their timeouts.
White acknowledged the challenges of coaching through questionable officiating but voiced frustration over what she views as a lack of consistency.
“It was an offensive player veering into the defensive player’s path. We have to be able to play through it. But at the same time, I feel like it’s really disrespectful,” she said. “There’s a system to making sure we can send in concerns and communicate our grievances. I don’t know that I ever feel like the system works. We’re not looking for a change, we’re just looking for consistency.”
As the WNBA season presses on, all eyes will remain on how officials handle games involving high-profile players like Clark—and whether voices from the bench and the broadcast booth continue to shape the league’s ongoing narrative.
