The Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream fought tooth and nail to win a crucial matchup that could lead the winner to the playoffs. Though the Fever ultimately won the matchup, it wasn't without controversy.

The game was neck-and-neck and went into overtime, during which Caitlin Clark received a foul call. It happened when Rhyne Howard was attempting to shoot a 3-pointer, and Clark made minimal contact.

"How could that ref call that crucial 3-point foul on Caitlin Clark, then stand by it when challenged?" Sports commentator Skip Bayless asked on social media, baffled by the situation.

"THERE WAS NO ILLEGAL CONTACT. Just makes you wonder," Bayless wrote in a post on X.

As noted by Bayless, the Indiana Fever challenged the call instantly. However, the referees stood by their decision regardless.

The instant replay had many fans scratching their heads over the decision. In it, one could see Clark's fingers brush against Howard's jersey as the latter shot the 3-pointer.

The contact was not harsh, nor did it appear to break Howard's motion.

Since the foul call was not overturned, Howard received three free throws during Overtime in what was one of the most important matches for both teams with similar standings.

Before the foul, the teams stood at 93-88 in Fever's favor. Howard's three free throws brought the scoreline to 93-91. The match remained ever so nail-biting for fans watching around the world.

Despite this significant push, the Atlanta Dream were not able to move past 91, while the Fever took the victory with 95 points.

Interestingly, this wasn't the only controversial moment of the matchup.

Angel Reese appears to push Caitlin Clark during a crucial matchup

During the first quarter of the match on August 16, 2026, Clark and Reese eagerly waited to make a play off Rhyne Howard's miss.

Reese appeared to physically push Clark by the neck in an attempt to keep her away from the ball's reach. While the defence was steadfast and seemingly aggressive, it did not receive a foul call from the referees, as reported by PFSN's Miguel de Guzman.

This angered many fans online who saw the clash as problematic. However, officially, there were no consequences, and the match remained underway.

It was yet another display of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese's intense rivalry.

Written by

Prit Chauhan

Edited by

Rudra Dubey