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Caitlin Clark Has Rollercoaster Referee Reaction Amid Iowa Win vs Michigan State

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark ran the emotional gamut with the referees for the Iowa Hawkeyes' Big Ten Tournament win.
Grant Young|
Former Iowa women's basketball player Caitlin Clark reacts after a foul call on Iowa during the Drake vs. Iowa basketball game at Knapp Center on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Des Moines.
Former Iowa women's basketball player Caitlin Clark reacts after a foul call on Iowa during the Drake vs. Iowa basketball game at Knapp Center on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Des Moines. | Lily Smith/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa Hawkeyes advanced to the quarterfinal round of the Big Ten Tournament on March 6 after defeating the No. 24 ranked Michigan State Spartans by a score of 74-61.

Per usual, the Hawkeyes were led by Lucy Olsen, who finished the game with 21 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals in the upset defeat. And with this win, Iowa has secured a matchup against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the quarterfinal contest on Friday.

Just as with yesterday's first round game against Wisconsin, former Iowa Hawkeyes icons Caitlin Clark and Lisa Bluder were both in attendance, and will surely be present for Friday's quarterfinal game as well.

Clark is known for being a passionate player on the court, which can cause some hilarious interactions with referees. And that's clearly also the case when she's spectating, as she had several exchanges with referees during Thursday's Iowa game that are making waves on social media.

At one point, Clark was caught on camera slapping at a referee and screaming, "That's a bad call!"

Although she seems to have forgiven the referees shortly after. With about a minute left in the third quarter, Iowa player Ava Heiden received a fantastic pass from Olsen and made the layup while getting the foul call. A few moments after the whistle was blown, Clark could be seen giving (what might have been a sarcastic) double thumbs-up to the referee.

Props to Clark for always finding a way to keep her fans entertained, even if she's not the one doing the playing.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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