The two basketball stars had never previously been involved in such a heated exchange, but Thursday night’s matchup could mark the beginning of a growing rivalry.
A clip from the Wings’ 91-85 victory quickly went viral, showing Paige Bueckers telling Caitlin Clark to “calm down” after Clark appeared to repeatedly foul her.
The Fever superstar was particularly unhappy with WNBA officials, a recurrent theme since her entrance in the league, over the lack of a call initially.
With seconds remaining before the half, Clark aimed to find space with the ball, only for Bueckers to grab the Fever guard’s arm.
That wasn’t called by referees, leaving the Wings star forced to make another attempt at the play.
It got particularly handsy again before a call was ultimately made, but not before Clark was very visibly frustrated with the officials.
Both players exchanged words afterwards, which is when Bueckers appeared to tell Clark to ‘calm down’.
Clark had no hard feelings after the loss, however, saying, “Obviously, she’s an incredible player. [She] makes it really hard on us defensively… Paige is a tremendous player.
“She takes what the defense gives her; she doesn’t force anything; she’s smooth; she finds the open teammate. So she’s just a really tough guard.”
Fans also weighed in on the controversial incident, with one posting, “Told that lady to calm down bc why is she being sooo dammm dramatic.”
“Players are intentionally trying to foul Caitlin Clark and the refs still don’t want to blow the whistle,” added another.
It was the second heated incident involving a Fever player and an opponent this week.
Indiana’s Kelsey Mitchell and Toronto Tempo star Marina Mabrey really got into it during Tuesday’s game, in which the Fever won.
The Fever now sit at 24-13, having missed the chance to secure a playoff berth in their loss to the Wings.
