On Sunday, Caitlin Clark was protecting one of her opponents, Kahleah Copper, when the Indiana Fever player deflected a ricocheted ball away from her head.
Copper didn’t catch the gesture and presumed the worst of the rookie sensation for lunging behind her head.
The Phoenix Mercury star then walked aggressively towards Clark, only to be held off by teammate and Clark rival Diana Taurasi, among other teammates.
After learning what Clark had done for her, Copper apologized on a free throw.
The two women may later be seen giggling about their misunderstanding.
Copper’s instant attitude is consistent with how she has been treated in the first few weeks of her professional career.
Clark has been involved in a dispute with an opposition player in two previous games against the Chicago Sky, the most recent with longtime opponent Angel Reese.
Clark was body-checked by Chennedy Carter on June 1, a move that many deemed unsportsmanlike in basketball.
Carter refused to address any questions about it in a post-game press conference, but he did double down online, writing on Threads, ‘beside three point shooting what does she offer to the table man’.
On June 16, Reese committed a flagrant foul on Clark after she failed a block attempt and slapped Clark in the head with her arm, knocking her down in pain.
Reese also blasted Clark and her staff in the press, claiming they had a’special whistle’.
This league is so funny sometimes. Caitlin Clark is fouled by Kahleah Copper & stops the miss from hitting her in the back of the head. Copper doesn't see what she was doing & has a few words for her. She then finds out what actually happened & apologizes to Clark 😂 pic.twitter.com/wClKi0nVVi
— iuwonka (@HoosierFever) July 1, 2024
Taurasi had a stern message for Clark back in April, before the Fever chose him first overall.
‘Reality is coming, there are tiers to this thing,’ she told Scott Van Pelt on SportsCenter when asked about Clark and South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso’s move to the pros.
‘And that is just life; we’ve all been through it… You look superhuman playing against some 18-year-olds, but you’re going to come [play] with some adult ladies who have been playing professional basketball for a long time,” Taurasi said.
‘I’m not saying it won’t translate, because when you’re good at something, you just keep getting better,’ Taurasi explained. ‘But there will be a transition period, during which you will need to be patient as a rookie.’
Taurasi then reaffirmed her remarks, calling Clark’s supporters’sensitive’.
‘The new fans are more sensitive these days,’ Taurasi told Arizona Central’s Jeff Metcalfe, adding, ‘You can’t say anything.’
‘It’s similar to the learning change that occurs while transitioning from kindergarten to first grade. Taurasi explained that there is a learning curve while transitioning from high school to college.
I don’t believe I mentioned anything that is factually false. Like everything, excellence will translate. And she’s proven that on every level. I don’t understand why that would be any different in the WNBA,” Taurasi added.
With Taurasi defending Clark against Copper, it’s probable that the attention brought to the WNBA by the former Iowa star’s arrival has made her presence unmistakable, both on and off the court.
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