Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever are off to an inconsistent start to the season, marked by costly lapses on both ends of the court.
Back-to-back losses to Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream have pulled them down the middle of the WNBA regular-season standings, and analysts point to the simmering tension between Clark and Fever coach Stephanie White as the primary reason for the so-so start.
Jason Whitlock Singles Out Caitlin Clark’s 3rd-Quarter Meltdown As the Primary Reason for the Fever’s Loss to the Dream
Sports analyst and media personality Jason Whitlock was among those critical of Clark, placing sole blame on the 6-foot guard and criticizing her actions during the pivotal third quarter of the Fever’s 113-96 loss to the Dream on June 20.
Whitlock, who has been highly critical of Clark’s recent on-court miscues and tense moments with her coach and game officials, posted his latest piece about Clark on Monday, hours before the Fever hosted the Phoenix Mercury at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The former columnist picked apart the former No. 1 overall draft pick for her poor actions and body language on offense and defense during the third quarter of her team’s clash against the Dream. Whitlock called out Clark for rolling her eyes at White, who had drawn Clark’s attention after a turnover and poor defensive coverage in the opening minutes of the period.
After more plays (and lapses), Whitlock described the NCAA all-time scoring leader as uncoachable and emotionally uncontrollable, noting that she vented her frustration by yelling at assistant coach Austin Kelly during a timeout.
“Caitlin Clark was horrendous in the third quarter of that game,” Whitlock said. “Body language is bad, she doesn’t wanna be coached.”
Caitlin Clark’s 3rd quarter versus the Atlanta Dream explained. pic.twitter.com/U02eKNS5aE
— Jason Whitlock (@jasonwhitlock) June 22, 2026
The analyst added that he expects other angles to emerge from other sports experts, who will offer their own takes on what went wrong for the Fever in those back-to-back defeats that culminated in the Dream’s 17-point beatdown. But he is certain that Clark’s “hero-ball” tendencies make her volatile and erratic, costing the Fever some winnable games this season.
However, Whitlock offered Clark meaningful advice to help eliminate the negative vibes surrounding her and the team over the past few weeks.
“How ’bout letting something go, Caitlin? How about monitoring your body language?” he said.
The analyst also expressed the belief that the Clark-Fever partnership is falling apart, and that a fresh start with another team and a change of attitude would help bring her back on track.
On Monday night against the Mercury, Clark’s temperament got the best of her again when she was called for a technical foul after getting tangled up with Phoenix forward DeWanna Bonner. The officials flagged the infraction after Clark clapped emphatically following a foul call.
It was her fifth technical foul this season, leaving her three away from a one-game suspension from the league. However, Clark led Indiana to a come-from-behind 86-77 win over the Mercury, snapping the team’s two-game losing skid and improving to 10-7. She had 24 points, 3 rebounds, and 9 assists in 29 minutes of action.
