Caitlin Clark Reveals Pricey WNBA Punishment From 4-Word Fever Referee Comment
Indiana Fever fans are sad that they haven't gotten to see Caitlin Clark taking part in their team's improbable run to the WNBA Semifinals, which starts against the Las Vegas Aces on September 21. Of course, they're also upset about the fact that Clark only played in 13 total games this season, in what has essentially been a lost season from No. 22.
Then again, it's hard to say that this is a lost season given that Clark's team has accomplished in her absence. And it certainly isn't lost on Clark how much positive energy and enthusiasm she pours into her team while being on the bench during games can impact her squad's success.
This is why fans have enjoyed seeing everything that Clark gets up to on the bench. And there was no better example of this than Clark's emphatic reaction to when Lexie Hull drained a buzzer beater at the end of Indiana's September 16 home win against the Atlanta Dream in the first round of the WNBA playoffs.
Clark jumping around the baseline in celebration went viral, as it was clear as day how ecstatic she was to see her squad pulling away from the Dream.
LEXIE HULL CAPS OFF AN INCREDIBLE 3RD QUARTER FOR THE FEVER WITH A BUZZER-BEATING THREE!
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) September 17, 2025
The Fever outscored the Dream 24-15 in the 3rd frame! #WNBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/mt69o9bj96
Caitlin Clark Admits Fine From WNBA Over Referee Comment
In the wake of that Game 2 win against Atlanta, the Fever's social media team posted several photos and a video on Instagram of the bench reacting to the three-pointer from Hull, where Clark's celebration was front and center.
The two top comments on the post are from Clark herself, who wrote, "Elite bench mob".
Her next comment (which got about 500 more likes than her first one) read, "Refs couldn’t stop us". This seemed to be Clark inferring that the referees weren't calling a good enough game, which is a sentiment that several others have shared.
And it seems that the WNBA didn't appreciate Clark's comment, which was clear with an X post Clark made on September 20.
"Got fined $200 for this lol 😂😂😂😂😂 BENCH MOB WILL BE EVEN MORE ROWDY TOMORROW LETS GOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! @IndianaFever," Clark wrote in a reply to a post that showed her Instagram comment about the referees.
Got fined $200 for this lol😂😂😂😂😂BENCH MOB WILL BE EVEN MORE ROWDY TOMORROW LETS GOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! @IndianaFever https://t.co/vO6OkDyfqU
— Caitlin Clark (@CaitlinClark22) September 20, 2025
Of course, $200 is a very small sum for Clark, who is surely making millions of dollars off of endorsement and other brand deals.
That said, nobody wants to have to forfeit $200. But Clark doesn't seem to have too much remorse about it.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the Indiana Fever 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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