A column about Caitlin Clark lit up the Indiana Fever’s online base over the weekend. The piece itself wasn’t really the problem, but who shared it was.
A member of the franchise’s front office reposted an article questioning Clark’s defense and framing her as the hardest player in the WNBA to coach.
Within minutes of the repost, Clark’s fans reacted, questioning the front office’s loyalty to the Fever star.
Lin Dunn’s Repost of a Caitlin Clark Column Sparks Backlash
The post came from Lin Dunn, the Fever’s senior adviser and a Hall of Famer who coached Indiana to its only championship in 2012.
She reshared an article that called coaching Clark the toughest job in the WNBA and described the guard, on defense, as “a sitting duck during hunting season.”
An employee amplifying that set the tone for everything that came after.
“Lin Dunn retweeting an article which called coaching Caitlin Clark the “toughest job in the WNBA” and referred to Caitlin as a “sitting duck during hunting season” is an interesting one… Have no issue with the article but why is a Fever employee reposting it…” one account wrote.
Lin Dunn retweeting an article which called coaching Caitlin Clark the “toughest job in the WNBA” and referred to Caitlin as a “sitting duck during hunting season” is an interesting one…
Have no issue with the article but why is a Fever employee reposting it…
— Mick (@DBGyt_) June 4, 2026
Another zeroed in on her title, asking how a senior adviser for any pro team could repost what it called a hit piece on the franchise’s own star, then dismissed the column’s claims as “total BS” and said the Fever need to “clean house so bad.”
The accusations of an internal agenda came next.
“this is LIN DUNN btw…. someone very close to the org. they tried to call us crazy but the agenda from people inside the fever franchise is VERY clear. they wanna protect steph white and not their star player. we’ll see how that works out in the end,” one user posted.
Others skipped straight to roster moves. “just trade Caitlin if she’s a burden,” read one reply tagging Dunn directly.
Hey lady @LD_ChalkTalk just trade Caitlin if she’s a burden. ☝️ https://t.co/AXs25WdMUQ
— TheJuliaYuki (@TheJuliaYuki) June 3, 2026
“Trade CC. This organization is a joke,” said another.
Trade CC. This organization is a joke https://t.co/UcioKUjEn1
— CC22_MAD (@MADONCE1601) June 4, 2026
A few aimed wider, painting the front office as an old guard that complains about the spotlight on the 24-year-old who turned the Fever into a nine-figure business in two years.
“They’ve done more damage control for their beloved “Miss Indiana” hometown hero coach this week than they have for any story about Caitlin Clark since she was drafted.”
Some questioned why anyone still defends a team they see as unable to build around her. “how are there still fans defending this organization? why would you want caitlin to play for people who never have her back and make everything harder for her? especially their incompetence to build around her and refusing to give her the keys.”
The article causing the problem here was written by columnist Annie Costabile. In her article, Costabile argued that Clark plays under a permanent microscope and that managing it is a core part of White’s job.
It framed her as a defensive liability, leaning on the “sitting duck during hunting season” line, and pointed to Indiana’s loss to Portland as the example, where it said Clark gave Fire guard Carla Leite a straight line to the rim on her way to 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting.
Dunn has been with the franchise since 2004, coached its 2012 championship team, ran basketball operations as general manager through 2024, and moved into the senior adviser role in October 2024.
