Caitlin Clark bloody mouth easily became one of the lasting images from the Indiana Fever’s season-ending loss Thursday night. Clark took major contact to the face from Jewell Loyd while fighting for a rebound late in Game 3 against the Las Vegas Aces. Of course, no foul was called. Clark briefly left the floor, returned before play resumed and showed an official the blood around her mouth.
Caitlin Clark was left with a bloody mouth after Jewell Loyd’s right arm struck her in the face while both players battled for a rebound late in Game 3. No foul was called. Clark left the floor for a moment, then returned before play resumed and showed an official that her upper gums were bleeding.
The play happened with 3:18 remaining and Indiana trailing Las Vegas 82-77. Clark and Loyd went up for the rebound before Loyd’s arm caught Clark in the mouth. Clark went to the floor and headed toward the tunnel for treatment.
Clark returned before play resumed and went directly toward the official. The Fever guard showed the blood around her mouth while questioning why the obvious contact did not result in a foul.
Indiana still had a chance after the no-call. Kelsey Mitchell hit a 3-pointer shortly afterward to cut the Aces’ lead to 82-80. Las Vegas eventually pulled away and ended Indiana’s season with a 94-83 victory. Aces got that revenge game back in blood. Literally.
For more background on the deciding game, read our Fever Vs. Aces Game 3 preview.
After the game Clark went to the post game interview and did not give a long explanation on the situation at all. Clark remains humble and shows a sense of respect for the game as she almost always does.
A reporter asked whether Loyd’s elbow came down and hit Clark and whether she received an explanation for the no-call. Clark paused before answering:
“Your guess would be as good as mine.”
The eight-word response said plenty without Clark accusing Loyd of doing anything intentionally. Clark clearly did not understand why the contact went uncalled.
Fever head coach Stephanie White was much more direct when discussing the officiating.
“The officiating was terrible.”
White also made it clear that Indiana was not claiming the Fever never committed fouls.
“I’m not trying to say we don’t foul, because we do. I’m saying that other teams do, too.”
Las Vegas finished with a 27-19 advantage in fouls drawn. The Aces also attempted 35 free throws compared with 20 for Indiana.
Clark and White’s comments can be seen in the Indiana Fever’s official postgame media availability.
I still have trouble believing that most of these big contact fouls against Clark are not purposely committed. I simply call it how I see it. With that being said, Loyd truly appeared to be making a legitimate play on the rebound rather than deliberately trying to hit Clark. Both players were going after the basketball before Loyd’s arm came down and caught Clark in the face.
Nothing about the play gives me enough evidence to call it dirty or intentional. An official watching the rebound may simply have missed the contact while tracking the ball and the players underneath the basket.
A missed foul is different from an intentional cheap shot. The two should not be treated the same way.
It is extremely important to remember that intent does not erase contact. Loyd’s arm struck Clark in the face during the rebound attempt, and Clark came away bleeding. An accidental foul can still be a foul.
Indiana had a legitimate reason to question why there was no whistle. Clark showing an official her bloody mouth made the missed contact even harder to ignore after the fact. The play also happened with Indiana down only five points in an elimination game.
I would have definitely called the foul, but I would not have called the play dirty. There is no reason to turn Loyd into the villain here. The stronger argument is simply that significant contact occurred and the officials missed it. Clark had every right to be angry at the officials for missing that clear contact foul.
Clark finished Game 3 with 18 points, four assists and four blocks while shooting 6-of-18 from the field. The Fever guard also recorded two steals in the season-ending loss.
Clark scored 11 of her 18 points in the opening quarter. Las Vegas adjusted after the strong start and held her to seven points over the final three quarters.
A’ja Wilson ultimately became the biggest reason Indiana’s season ended. Wilson finished with 36 points and 10 rebounds as Las Vegas advanced with the 94-83 victory.
The bloody-mouth incident will get plenty of attention, but Indiana had other chances to change the outcome. Las Vegas made the plays it needed down the stretch and earned the win.
At the end of the day, Las Vegas Aces won that game fair and square. The Caitlin Clark bloody mouth no-call did not single-handedly cost Indiana the game. Las Vegas made more plays late, and Wilson delivered another huge postseason showcase and sent the Fever home.
Don’t get me wrong, the missed whistle still deserves criticism. Loyd appeared to make accidental contact while fighting for the rebound, but accidental contact does not automatically mean legal contact. Clark’s eight-word response truly summed up the confusion perfectly: “Your guess would be as good as mine.”
If you love sports, download Stadium Rant from the Apple App Store and join one of the fastest-growing social sports communities. Be sure to follow us on socials too — you can find all our profiles on our Linktree.
