WNBA makes changes in connection with the incident between Chennedy Carter and Caitlin Clark

For some reason, Chennedy Carter was not charged with an intentional foul for her unfair hit on Caitlin Clark during Saturday night’s game between the Chicago Sky and the Indiana Fever, but the WNBA has since changed the decision.

Clark was tackled to the ground by Carter late in the third quarter of the Indiana Fever’s 71-70 win over Carter’s Chicago Sky at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. Carter’s hip check of Clark was not a basketball play, so many were surprised that an intentional foul was not called.

The referees reviewed the play and stuck with the ruling of a regular foul, but on Sunday the WNBA announced that Carter’s foul had been upgraded to a Flagrant 1 after the league reviewed the play.

Just received this from the WNBA: “Chennedy Carter’s foul on Caitlin Clark on June 1, 2024 has been upgraded to a Flagrant 1 after league review.” Carter is neither suspended nor penalized. She gets one point for the F1. She needs 3 or 4 points depending on whether she is suspended in F1 or F2. https://t.co/cPxQy2KOLi

— Christine Brennan (@cbrennansports) June 2, 2024

One has to wonder if the WNBA took the public reaction into account. During the game, it was very obvious that Carter was targeting Clark, intentionally bumping the former Iowa star with his shoulder. Carter even appeared to call Clark a “bitch” moments before contact.

In addition to Carter’s Flagrant 1, Chicago rookie Angel Reese was fined $1,000 for failing to speak to the media after the game. Reese, a former LSU star who had a heated rivalry with Clark in college, reacted remarkably to Clark’s dejection but declined to answer questions about the incident after the game.