In the closing minutes of a winner-take-all Game 3, a bloody no-call became the lasting image of Indiana's season-ending loss.

Caitlin Clark took an elbow to the mouth from Las Vegas Aces guard Jewell Loyd while fighting for a rebound. Blood appeared. Clark showed the official her teeth. No foul was called. No flagrant. Nothing. Skip Bayless noticed immediately.

"Caitlin just took an elbow in the mouth from Jewell Loyd, shows the ref her bloody teeth, no flagrant," he posted on X. "Did not look intentional. This is an extremely physical basketball game."

The play that Bayless was describing on his X post happened with just over three minutes left and Las Vegas leading 82-77. Clark briefly headed toward the locker room as Indiana called a timeout, returned once the bleeding was controlled, and finished the game. The Fever still fell 94-83, ending their season as the defending champion Aces advanced.

Clark finished with 18 points on 6-of-18 shooting, four assists, four blocks, and two steals, not her sharpest offensive performance of the series. She had posted 27 points and 15 assists in Game 2 to force the decisive matchup, while Game 1 had been quieter. Across all three games, the physicality never let up.

Bayless's post fit into a broader pattern of scrutiny around how contact involving Clark gets officiated. Throughout the 2026 season, and especially in the playoffs, fans and commentators have argued that hard fouls and physical plays against her often go uncalled or aren't upgraded appropriately. 

The elbow from Loyd, even if unintentional, produced visible blood and still didn't draw a whistle, becoming the latest example cited by those already frustrated with the officiating crews.

Game 3 showcased another supposed official error

Fever fans didn't need much more fuel heading into a season-ending loss. Game 3 against the Aces gave them plenty.

Lexie Hull absorbed heavy contact near the paint, driven hard to the floor, only for officials to call the foul against her. Indiana tried to challenge the call. The challenge was refused.

The clip on X by @Sudharsan_ak showed Hull reacting in clear disbelief while holding her arm as the call stood. It wasn't an isolated complaint. Free-throw disparities and disputed physical plays had already fueled officiating debate through Games 1 and 2, so by the winner-take-all matchup in Las Vegas, every borderline call carried extra scrutiny.

The Aces closed out the series 94-83, and for Fever fans, moments like Hull's and Clark’s non-call reinforced a growing sense that Indiana was battling more than just the opponent.

Do you think the officiating impacted the outcome of the Fever's series?

Written by

Zaid Quraishi