Caitlin Clark makes WNBA history with record-breaking game after weeks of controversy
WNBA star Caitlin Clark reacts after being punched in the throat
WNBA star Caitlin Clark publicly reacted after Phoenix Mercury player Alyssa Thomas punched her in the throat during a game. Clark expresses disappointment that the incident overshadowed the game. Thomas later criticizes Clark for remaining silent about the incident and complains that ‘our lives are under threat’.
Caitlin Clark responded.
The WNBA phenomenon became the first player in league history to score at least 40 points and 10 assists against the Seattle Storm on Friday night, and became the 10th player in WNBA history to score a 45-point game.
He did all of this against the backdrop of an ongoing national debate about his treatment in the league and among other players, which has reached a fever pitch in recent days.
CAITLIN CLARK HELPES THE WNBA HIT HISTORICAL NIGHT WIRE NUMBER DESPITE LIMITED RETURN IN LA
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark holds the ball during the second half of the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Fever defeated Seattle Storm 110-107. (Grace Smith/IndyStar/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Regardless, Clark came out on Friday and had his best game as a pro, posting 45 points, 10 assists and 4 steals. The final steal of the game clinched the victory when he fumbled the ball away from Seattle’s Flau’Jae Johnson with less than a minute left.
This was also the highest scoring game ever by a WNBA point guard or any Indiana Fever player.
Caitlin Clark drives to the basket during a game against the Seattle Storm at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 17, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Pepper Robinson/NBAE via Getty Images)
In an on-field interview with ION just after the game ended, Clark said he “really didn’t care” about the history he wrote and called the way his team played defense in a game that Indiana won 110-107 “a disgrace.”
Clark told reporters that he refused to leave the game late even though he was on a minutes restriction due to his recovery from a back injury.
“I told Steph at halftime that I felt really good and I didn’t want to lose this game,” Clark said.
“There was no way I was going to get out of the game in the fourth quarter. It didn’t matter. I would play with one leg,” Clark added.
Clark also thought about overcoming challenges.
“I always know how much effort I put in and people believe in me. And more than anything, I believe in myself,” he said. “And you have to dig your feet in a little bit. Nobody cares when things don’t go your way. Find a way to make it better and find a way to help your team win and make this team better.”
The WNBA has faced heated tensions in recent weeks after Clark was punched in the throat by Phoenix Mercury star Alyssa Thomas during a game in June; This sparked weeks of discourse in the media and online, often invoking race and sexuality in discussions about how Clark was treated by referees, fans, other players and the media.
CAITLIN CLARK BREAKED HER SILENCE FOR A WEEK AFTER GETTING PUNCHED IN THE THROAT BY ALYSSA THOMAS
Clark later publicly stated that the WNBA needed to do better at protecting its players in her first media blitz since the punch, acknowledged that Thomas’ punch was a flagrant foul, and criticized the overall state of the league’s referees.
The controversy spilled into politics, when a group of 11 Republican lawmakers wrote a letter to WNBA leadership demanding accountability and better protection for Clark from repeated physical attacks.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert later backed out of an interview on “The Dan Patrick Show,” sparking a new public relations crisis for the league after Patrick announced she was canceling the interview and criticized her for skipping the interview amid ongoing questions about Clark on her show.
Clark later reignited the controversy himself when he was seen yelling in the referee’s face during Wednesday night’s loss to Golden State after the referee did not call a foul on the play, which Clark claimed caused an injury to his leg.
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Clark was trying to return to full strength after suffering a back injury in a match in which he received a punch to the throat, and was on a strict minutes restriction in his first three games back. But on Friday, he appeared to bounce back with his historic performance despite playing limited minutes as he played less than 30 minutes.
At 15-10, the Fever are tied for first place in the Eastern Conference with the Atlanta Dream and will face the third-place New York Liberty at home on Saturday.
