Caitlin Clark's furious outburst at referee as Fever boss slams 'disrespect'

Caitlin Clark was left astounded as WNBA referees turned a blind eye during a pivotal moment in the face-off with the New York Liberty on Saturday, visibly broadcasting her discontent for all to see - especially the match officials.

With a mere 2.9 ticks on the clock in the final quarter and the game hanging in the balance, Clark believed she had been fouled - an infringement that could have propelled her to the free-throw line for a shot at pushing the game into overtime. Having caught the inbound from Sophie Cunningham, which was concocted via a misdirection ploy to set Kelsey Mitchell loose, Clark made her move left past Natasha Cloud, who was hot on her heels at the key's apex.

The attempted drive, however, was stonewalled by Cloud's stern chest defence, sending Clark scrambling to convey a hint of contact before relinquishing the ball as time lapsed. The instant reaction from Clark?

Arms thrown up in airs of exasperation, crying out, "You gotta be kidding me," spinning around to confront a referee wearing an expression of shock. Her follow-up wasn't any less pointed: "Are you serious?" she probed, whilst the Liberty commenced their victory revelries.

Teammate Cunningham chimed in to air grievances alongside Clark, only to find the officials departing the scene, undisturbed, leaving the Fever trailing at 91-89.

The episode sparked heated discourse among WNBA aficionados - should a foul have coloured the materialising scene?

Despite split opinions, a prevailing view surfaced: Cloud's defensive prowess was unassailable, and Clark, far from indifferent, was becoming notorious for airing vexations towards the umpires, having maintained a pivotal defensive stature and impeding the crucial attempt devoid of initiating physical contact.

The Liberty's social media team highlighted the pivotal moment on Twitter with a replay of the game's last play. They captured Clark's reaction, arms aloft in dissatisfaction, while Cloud celebrated her decisive move.

Clark's ardent fan base remained unswayed as many voiced their opinion that she is still being unfairly targeted by referees.

Debate ensued over whether the WNBA sufficiently protects its marquee player, with Fever coach Stephanie White criticising the officiating post-game.

"I thought she got fouled," expressed White. "I think it's pretty egregious what's been happening to use the last few games. A minus 31 free throw discrepancy. We're not just chucking threes. We're attacking the rim. The disrespect for our team right now has been pretty unbelievable. It's disappointing that it doesn't go both ways, but we can't allow that to consume us."

Clark notched up a triple-double with 18 points, 10 assists, and ten turnovers despite a difficult performance from the three-point line where she shot 2-for-11.

Mitchell chipped in with 15 points, while Boston shone as the top scorer with 27 points and 13 rebounds.

Nonetheless, the New York team's offence was overwhelming for Indiana, led by Jones with 26 points and 12 rebounds and Ionescu with 23 points; contributions from both Cloud and Stewart at 16 points each were pivotal, with Cloud's defence proving decisive in the dying moments of the game.

The Fever's record has slipped to 2-2 this season, with both defeats occurring at their home ground, Gainbridge Fieldhouse. In contrast, last season saw the Fever lose just eight of their 20 regular-season home games.