Caitlin Clark college footage resurfaces as fans spot controversial WNBA tactic

Jarrod CastilloWed, July 15, 2026 at 3:11 PM UTC

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Footage of Caitlin Clark's foul-drawing tactics from college have resurfaced -Credit:Getty Images

Footage from Caitlin Clark's college basketball days has reappeared on social media, with fans spotting a controversial tactic.

In the Indiana Fever's 109-75 win over the Las Vegas Aces, Clark was briefly brought to the ground after Chelsea Gray's shoulder appeared to strike the 24-year-old in the midsection during a routine play, causing her to collapse to the ground in pain. Though it was deemed a common foul, fans on social media were livid that it was reviewed in the first place.

Fans rediscovering Clark's college tape comes after a Fever star shared her thoughts on Republican lawmakers attempting to dabble in the league's affairs by writing a letter to the WNBA, specifically asking the league to protect Clark.

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In light of the controversy surrounding Clark and what happened against the Aces, a brief video has been circulating on social media of the former Iowa superstar seemingly feigning injury to draw a foul. The first clip in the video shows the almost exact same play Clark was involved in with Gray, and after being scored on, the Hawkeyes guard received the ball and then fell to the court in pain.

The next moments then showed replays of the play and Clark on the bench, telling her coaching staff that a shoulder was driven into her midsection, causing her to collapse in agony. The next clip shows the guard driving to the basket under heavy duress and was met with a defender with her hands straight up.

Clark lightly bumped into the defender and fell to the floor on her back, feeling her ear as she was on the ground, and was caught saying, "Ow!" She was slow to get up, and upon replay, it appeared as if there was little contact on the play, though perhaps her head might have made contact with the floor.

Caitlin Clark was left on the floor after an apparent hit to the midsection -Credit:Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Overall, the one-minute, nine-second-long video had fans claiming that Clark seemingly embellishing fouls to get a call was a tactic that she had been doing was not new. “‘She took a shot to the chest’ if she can’t handle getting hit by another player’s shoulder or face during a normal basketball play, she needs to get in the weight room. Idk what to tell y’all!!!!!!” one fan wrote on X.

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Another wrote, "Someone needs to get this girl some help. Like seriously no jokes. This is starting to remind me of a child prodigy that develops some complex due to expectations so they never mature properly and it manifests in adulthood. Like Michael Jackson."

This is not the first time Clark has been lambasted by fans for her interaction with Gray. In the immediate aftermath of the play, a lengthy review was initiated for a hostile act, though it soon was downgraded to a common foul.

"I get that Caitlin Clark is rightfully sensitive to physicality these days, but this is a normal hard basketball play. To yell for this to be reviewed is not going to help her case any when it comes to the officiating," one fan wrote.

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Another posted in response to Clark doing what she could to get a foul called: "Caitlin Clark with another acting job painting herself as the victim. They have the refs reviewing this play for a possible hostile act when nothing happened except for Caitlin fouling Chelsea Gray."

In light of the controversy Clark finds herself in, Republican lawmakers have reached out to the WNBA, demanding the league do a better job protecting its players, though in this case, said lawmakers focused on Clark. However, Fever star Sophie Cunningham made it clear to Mirror U.S. Sports that she believes the team does not need outside help.

"We really try to just focus on what's in the locker room," Cunningham said. "You know, we take care of each other, and we're gonna let the outside world and the media do their thing, but for us, it's just getting better every single day.

"We don't need to rely on other people helping us out. We don't need to rely on the refs. I think we have enough talent to just go out there and do what we do, and so that's what we're focused on."m them or anyone else.

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Source: “AOL Sports”