The Indiana Fever are battling through a tough WNBA season, sitting at an even 6-6 record after a disheartening 88-77 loss to the Golden State Valkyries on June 19. But beyond their win-loss column, the headlines have been dominated by one alarming topic: the brutal on-court treatment of Caitlin Clark on June 17 in the game against the Connecticut Sun.
Now, a surprising voice has stepped in to support her, and that is none other than late-night host Jimmy Fallon, who used his unique platform to advocate for Clark.
Jimmy Fallon Has a Message for the WNBA Community and Caitlin Clark
In the June 19 segment of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” the comedian dove into his usual monologue, which included jokes about the current U.S. political scenario, but then took a sharp turn.
Addressing the recent wave of physicality aimed at Clark, Fallon made a passionate plea to the WNBA community.
“When the press first asked Trump how he’ll stop the fighting, he thought they meant the WNBA. What is going on? Protect Caitlin Clark at all costs, please. Enough of this. Please!” said Fallon during the segment regarding the physical altercations on the court during the June 17 matchup.
If we rewind to that matchup between the Fever and Sun, things spiraled in the third quarter. Sun guard Jacy Sheldon was defending Clark as she was dribbling. Sheldon swung her arm upward and struck Clark in the eye, trying to steal the ball. Clark instinctively pushed Sheldon back to regain space. But before the situation could settle, Connecticut’s Marina Mabrey stormed in and delivered a hard shoulder bump to Clark, sending her crashing to the floor.
Clark was assessed a technical foul, while Sheldon received a flagrant 1 for the initial contact. Mabrey, who many felt escalated the conflict unnecessarily, was given a technical foul during the game, but the league later upgraded her penalty to a flagrant 2.
This incident happened just days after Clark returned to the court on June 13 following a five-game absence due to a left quadriceps injury. Her comeback was nothing short of electric, as she dropped a season-high 32 points against the New York Liberty. She followed it up with a strong 20-point performance against the Sun.
However, fans grew concerned when her momentum appeared to stall on June 19 against the Valkyries. In that game, Clark struggled from beyond the arc, going 0-for-7 from three and finishing with 11 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists.
Clark is averaging an impressive 19.9 points, 8.7 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game. Her next test? A high-stakes matchup against the Las Vegas Aces on June 22 at T-Mobile Arena.