By Johnathan Jones August 21, 2026 at 6:25am
The Dallas Wings beat the Indiana Fever 91-85 on Thursday night, and most fans will likely remember the game as another sanctioned beatdown of the WNBA’s brightest star.
Caitlin Clark finished her night with 10 points and 9 assists and was on the receiving end of one hit that was so physical the booth could only describe it in football terms.
In the fourth quarter, Clark drove and found herself tackled straight to the floor as she made an attempt to grab a pass.
Odyssey Sims of the Dallas Wings grabbed Clark with force and slung her to the floor, Yahoo Sports noted.
Average WNBA defense on Caitlin Clark 😭 pic.twitter.com/fRt1TFUMMi
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) August 21, 2026
Clark tumbled down and briefly grabbed her knee with a grimace.
If this continues, will Clark be seriously injured before the end of the season?
The booth said, “That’s a tackle on the play.”
The inconsistent officiating should have resulted in a flag and a 10-yard penalty against Dallas.
But becuase it was basketball, and because this is a league that allows never-ending bruising hits to the WNBA’s cash cow, not a single whistle was blown.
The football tactics and ineptitude of the officiating had fans and casual observers rightly upset when the clip went viral on X:
Nice open field tackle… oh wait….
— Dr Chris (@csikes221) August 21, 2026
That’s not basketball, that’s football. Disgraceful way to treat your meal ticket
— Mike Murphy (@MikeMurphy28) August 21, 2026
This league is a joke. The referees are a joke. Quit trying to injure your best player. No wonder she gets a bunch of technicals because you don’t call anything in her favor and it is legitimate….period.
— Will Taylor “Voice of the Sanderson Spartans” (@asumntneer) August 21, 2026
it wouldnt surprise me if she got called for an offensive foul here
— daniel rager ☻ (@fucksewsy) August 21, 2026
The WNBA overall has shown zero interest in shielding arguably the one player who rescued it from obscurity two years ago.
We can’t forget that millions of people had never seen one second of WNBA action until Clark appeared in her first game.
Sophie Cunningham came on as an extra reward, and plenty of fans surely first noticed her solely because Clark pulled them toward Fever broadcasts.
Clark and Cunningham each draw crowds of viewers yet suffer nightly assaults, most likely due to their being white.
What has the WNBA done about it? So far, nothing at all.
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Johnathan Jones is a journalist, novelist, and media analyst with experience as a reporter, editor, and producer across radio, television, and digital platforms. Follow him on X: @misterjkjones
