Clark: Missed call means playing with leg contusio...

INDIANAPOLIS -- Frustrated by a non-call midway through the second quarter of the Fever's 88-75 loss to the Valkyries on Wednesday night, Caitlin Clark threw a fist in the air and made a beeline toward an official. Clark had been driving to the basket for a layup and hit the ground after contact with Kiah Stokes. The basket was good, but she didn't get the call. Clark visibly limped back to the defensive end, and as soon as play was stopped with the next whistle, she immediately turned back to the official that was near on the other end of the floor. "The ref can't miss that ... then I have to play with a contusion in my leg the rest of the game," Clark said after the game. "It's ridiculous. ... [The ref] said I initiated the contact. Which is fine, but you can't knee me in the leg. Knock me over." As frustrated as Clark was with the non-call, she didn't seem to be worried about the leg for the future. "Ah, we'll just rub it out," Clark said with a smile. "Good old knuckles on it and call it a day." Fever coach Stephanie White added with a touch of sarcasm, "They said Caitlin initiated the contact. That's all they said. She seems to always be initiating the contact. I'm trying to not get fined. Again, all I'll say is that we just keep asking for consistency." Every time the three-time All-Star hits the floor, there's concern from the Fever faithful. Clark missed three of the past six games and has been on a minutes restriction the other three due to a back injury. Before the game, Clark said she felt good but wasn't sure what her status would be for an upcoming back-to-back Friday and Saturday against the Storm and Liberty. Still, she hasn't been as effective as usual, as she's shot 35% from the field and 16% from beyond the arc in her past three games. Clark finished with 13 points, 6 assists and 3 rebounds in 26 minutes Wednesday, shooting 4-for-14 from the field and 1-for-8 from behind the arc. Kelsey Mitchell scored a game-high 20 points for the Fever while Aliyah Boston added 15 points and 7 rebounds. "They're in my grill," Clark said of the Valkyries. "They're probably the best defensive team in the league. They're really good at that. I thought I finally played with a little more pace and a little bit more burst, especially down the stretch in the fourth." That defense has fueled Golden State to eight consecutive wins -- the longest active win streak in the league and tied with the Lynx and Liberty for the longest this season. It was the Valkyries' 11th win by double digits, the most of any team in 2026. Six players scored in double figures for Golden State. All-Star starter Gabby Williams scored 16 and Kaitlyn Chen exploded for 14 points off the bench. "We've gotta be the only team that has like multiple six player of the year options," Williams said "It's insane." Coach Natalie Nakase added, "I think they'd rather see success in the team more than themselves." The Valkyries have held opponents to 75 points or less 12 times this season and they're 11-1 in those games. That's the most in the league and double the next closest teams -- the Lynx, Mercury and Mystics have six apiece. Still, Nakase wasn't overly thrilled. "We're really trying to prepare down the line," Nakase said. "We have to get better. "We did not do the defensive game plan, so we have a lot to get better at rather than looking at a streak right now."