Caitlin Clark turns back on Indiana Fever teammates at first sign of tension with Phoenix Mercury

Usually at the center of any on-court altercation involving the Indiana Fever, Caitlin Clark found herself in a different situation on Sunday when tensions broke out between her team and the Phoenix Mercury. She turned her back on her teammates and let them fight it out, seemingly to enjoy the chance to stay out of the fight.

Before the Fever’s game against Phoenix, fans had already started making popcorn because Diana Taurasi, a star for the Mercury, was one of the prominent WNBA veterans who did not take a liking to Clark when she joined the league. Before tipoff, she and Britney Griner had gotten along well with Clark; the same could not be said for the other players on the team.

Caitlin Clark turns away from the Fever-Mercury battle.

After a free throw attempt, tensions increased as the two teams huddled up extremely close to one another. The teams’ animosity began when Indiana guard Erica Wheeler shoved Phoenix’s Kahleah Copper aside.

It’s only because Caitlin Clark left the altercation that it didn’t turn into a full-fledged five-on-five brawl. She gave up and turned her back on her teammates after making a fleeting attempt to stop Temi Fagbenle from pursuing Natasha Cloud.

During the disappointing season, Clark has made two signature gestures: shrugging her shoulders and shaking her head. These actions led to accusations that Clark was a bad teammate as she left.

This time, Clark made a decision that was best for the team rather than his own interests. It paid off as the tension subsided and the Fever defeated the opposition 88-82 to record their first victory over a winning team this season.