WNBA Hands Caitlin Clark a $200 Fine For Snide Instagram …
Caitlin Clark may be sidelined with a groin injury, but that hasn’t stopped her from making headlines.
According to Newsweek, the Indiana Fever guard, who hasn’t suited up since July 15, has been a constant presence on the bench, hyping her teammates and drawing viral attention with her animated support. But late last week, she found herself in the news again—this time for a league-issued fine.
The Fever, already depleted by season-ending injuries to Clark, Sophie Cunningham, Aari McDonald, Sydney Colson, and Chloe Bibby, shocked the Atlanta Dream with an 87-85 comeback win in Game 3 of the first round of the WNBA Playoffs. The victory sent Indiana to the semifinals for the first time since 2015.
Clark, watching from the bench, celebrated her team’s run by commenting on a highlight the Fever posted to Instagram.
The clip showed Lexie Hull draining a buzzer-beating three-pointer in Game 2, sparking the crowd and extending Indiana’s lead. Clark dropped two comments: one calling the moment “Elite bench mob,” and another taking aim at the officiating with, “Refs couldn’t stop us.”
That second remark didn’t sit well with the league office. On Saturday, September 20, Clark revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that she had been fined $200 for the post. “Got fined $200 for this lolBENCH MOB WILL BE EVEN MORE ROWDY TOMORROW LETS GOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! @IndianaFever,” she wrote.
The WNBA’s decision isn’t surprising given its history with similar situations. Clark’s teammate Sophie Cunningham has been fined multiple times this season for critical remarks about officiating.
In July, Cunningham was docked $500 for comments on TikTok. A month later, she was fined $1,500 for calling out what she described as inconsistent foul calls. By late August, she was hit again—this time an undisclosed amount—for suggesting officials favored Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers.
For the Fever, though, the focus remains on the playoff push. With their star guard cheering from the sidelines and the bench mob rallying together, Indiana is proving that—even short-handed—they’re not done making noise.