Caitlin Clark Fires Back at Cheryl Reeve After Physical Exchange in Fever Win
The short version
- Caitlin Clark posted 30 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists in a 96-77 Fever win over the Lynx.
- Clark acknowledged bumping Cheryl Reeve with her shoulder in the first quarter and said she would match physicality with physicality.
- Lynx starters managed only 28 points on 10-of-26 shooting and were benched for much of the second half.
- Rookie Olivia Miles was a late scratch after breaking her rookie scoring record the day before.
- The Fever and Lynx play again September 24 in their final regular-season meeting.
Clark scored 30 points in Indiana's 96-77 win over Minnesota and addressed a first-quarter bump incident with the Lynx head coach.
Caitlin Clark delivered 30 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists as the Indiana Fever rolled past the Minnesota Lynx 96-77, keeping the team in contention for a top-four seed in the 2026 WNBA Playoffs.
The game featured an unusual first-quarter moment between Clark and Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve. According to Clark, Reeve asked the officials to review a play in which the Fever guard bumped her with a shoulder while the coach was arguing with referees.
"I know Cheryl tried to challenge that call where I bumped her with my shoulder good. I told her that's a great bump. I didn't bump her super hard. If you're gonna be physical, I'm gonna be physical right back," Clark said. The bump was not shown on the broadcast, but Clark and Reeve exchanged smiles afterward.
Fever head coach Stephanie White praised Clark's added physicality after the game, calling her point guard "swole."
Minnesota's starters struggled badly, combining for 28 points on 10-of-26 shooting. Reeve benched her core players with half the game remaining rather than chase a comeback, even after the Lynx cut the deficit to seven in the third quarter. Rookie Olivia Miles missed the game as a late scratch, one day after setting her rookie scoring record.
The two teams meet again on September 24 in their final regular-season matchup. Minnesota has already locked up the No. 1 seed, while Indiana needs a win to bolster its top-four seeding hopes.