Everyone thought they got centel’d for a while when the news came to light that Caitlin Clark was fined $200. But during Fever practice on Saturday, Clark shouted across the gym to reporters, “Hey, everybody, go look at my tweet!” That’s when the chorus of “what” followed, with people wondering why. Let’s go back.

Gainbridge Fieldhouse was buzzing as Indiana tore apart Atlanta’s defense. Even the injured Fever players on the bench joined in, celebrating every basket with the crowd. But in the middle of the excitement, officials issued a warning for the bench to stay clear of the court. You’d think that might have led to the fine, right? Turns out, the WNBA had something far less predictable in store.

The chain of events began when the Indiana Fever’s official account posted a clip online. Caitlin Clark chimed in underneath with, “The refs couldn’t stop us” and “Elite bench mob.” However, this attitude did not sit well with the WNBA. They slapped the Fever guard with a $200 fine. Sharing the incident, Clark wrote on X: “Got fined $200 for this lol. Bench Mob will be even more rowdy tomorrow, let’s go!” 

Backing Clark is fellow Fever player Sophie Cunningham, who’s notorious for taking shots at the officials. Cunningham, never one to miss a moment, reposted Clark’s tweet with a cheeky reply of her own. Joking that the $200 fine will cause a huge dent in Clark’s earnings, she said, “That’s gonna really break the bank for her. starting a GoFundMe now!”

While the Fever players are talking about it in a lighthearted way right now, the officiating was a major point of concern for them in the series against Atlanta. A total of 118 fouls were called during the 3-game postseason series. 49 of them were called for Indiana, while the rest were called for Atlanta. However, this also meant that Indiana was taking the brunt of the physical play from Atlanta.

With their roster already stretched thin, the Fever could hardly afford another setback. Yet a brief injury scare arose late in the game against Atlanta. With about five minutes left, Odyssey Sims went down after contact from Allisha Gray, who was assessed a flagrant foul. During the ensuing timeout, Cunningham headed toward midcourt, joined by Caitlin Clark and Chloe Bibby, to check on Sims. That’s when an Atlanta security officer stepped in, sparking an exchange of words and sharp looks between the sides.

Now, whether the WNBA decides to fine Clark and Cunningham again for this incident is still up in the air. What is sure, however, is that Clark is promising a heater against the Las Vegas Aces. And Cunningham will be there to do just the same. “I’m there just to kind of talk some s— to the refs, talk some s— to the other team, really pour into my teammates for real. Like I want them to be confident because that’s when everyone’s at their best, and it’s just more fun,” Cunningham said on her podcast.

However, standing in their way will be a rampant A’ja Wilson.

Is the Indiana Fever capable of facing the Las Vegas Aces without Caitlin Clark?

This Indiana Fever roster is scripting a fairy tale run. Many doubted that they would reach the postseason after missing five key players. And here they are, looking to take down Las Vegas at their home in Game 1 of the semifinals. However, it won’t be an easy task. As Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon puts it, heading into the semifinals, “They haven’t seen the real Aces yet.” There is weight to her proclamation, one that needs extra heed from Indiana.

In the regular season, the Fever defeated them twice, once with 10 points and the other with 27 points. So, they are more than capable of taking on the Aces. But after July, the Las Vegas roster turned a new leaf, going 16 regular-season games without losing.

They look like a whole new team going into the semifinals. But so is Indiana, for some unfortunate reasons. When Indiana first played against Las Vegas this season, they had their full roster with Caitlin Clark on the court. In the following two games, the Fever had experienced players like Aari McDonald and Sophie Cunningham starting.

Now, they look like a whole new team, thanks to injuries. But if you ask Cunningham, this might be the reason that Indiana wins. She claims Las Vegas does not know what Indiana is bringing to the court. “We’re the underdogs. The pressure is all on them. And so I think how we defended the things we did in the regular season is going to be huge. And then now we just have so many new players that like a lot of people haven’t seen in a long time,” she said.

However, the Aces have their eyes set on one player, Kelsey Mitchell. A’ja Wilson is already prepping her teammates to guard the Fever player in the semifinals. So the injured Fever roster, led by Caitlin Clark, might play a bigger role in rattling their opponents to make mistakes.