Brittany Mahomes has come out in support of Caitlin Clark amid foul drama involving the Indiana Fever guard during the team’s loss to the Chicago Sky on Saturday.
Barely a day after Clark, 22, was brutally pushed to the ground by Chennedy Carter, of the Sky, Mahomes, a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model, who is married to Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, shared a post on Instagram backing the rookie WNBA star.
Mahomes’ words of encouragement come on the same day that the WNBA upgraded Carter’s foul against Clark to a flagrant-1 violation after reviewing the play.
Brittany Mahomes has sent some words of encouragement to Caitlin Clark amid the guard’s struggles in her first WNBA season on the Indiana Fever
Carter gave a shoulder shot to Clark that knocked her to the floor before an inbound pass during the third quarter of Saturday’s 71-70 win by the Fever. The officials called it an away-from-the-ball foul and didn’t review the play. It was deemed a common foul at the time.
‘I wasn’t expecting it,’ Clark said after the game. ‘It is what it is. It’s a physical game. Go make the free throw and execute on offense, and I feel like that’s kind of what we did.’
The league fined Sky forward Angel Reese $1,000 for failing to make herself available to media after Saturday’s game. The WNBA also fined Chicago $5,000 for failing to ensure that all players comply with league media policies.
The league office may reclassify a flagrant foul or upgrade a foul to a flagrant that isn’t called during the game. In addition, the league may impose a fine or suspend a player for a flagrant foul. The WNBA didn’t do either to Carter.
Players accumulate points for flagrant fouls during the regular season and receive suspensions if they reach a certain number.
‘This league is awesome, it’s a physical league,’ Indiana coach Christie Sides said before playing the New York Liberty on Sunday night. ‘That was a non-basketball play that needed to be called in that moment.’
Sides praised Clark in her postgame interview Saturday for keeping her composure through all the physical play she’s faced this season.
‘She showed it last night,’ the coach said. ‘Got up and kept playing. All she did was ask the officials to review it. They didn’t want to listen to it. I applaud her for how she handled it last night.’
Clark, who finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and six assists against Chicago, suffered a blowout loss to the New York Liberty barely a day after the loss to the Sky.
‘I grew up playing basketball with the boys. It’s always been physical and feisty and you have to find a way to hold your own,’ she said.