Fever legend Tamika Catchings takes issue with WNBA over Caitlin Clark 'cheap shot'

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Indiana Fever legend Tamika Catchings said the WNBA has to do a better job of protecting its players after a hard foul on Caitlin Clark ignited hot takes on social media and television.

Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter delivered the hip check on Clark in the third quarter of the team’s 71-70 loss to the Fever. Carter was initially hit with a common foul, but it was later upgraded to a flagrant-1 foul. Carter said Monday she had no regrets over the incident.

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Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings speaks to the media during a press conference announcing the 2024 NBA All Star Weekend in Indianapolis on Oct. 25, 2023 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. (Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)

Catchings called Carter’s foul a "cheap shot" in an interview with USA Today and said it was up to the league to do more to protect players from things like that.

"The cheap shot, I don’t agree with that, I don’t agree with that, especially that’s where injuries happen," said Catchings, who is one of the greatest Fever players in franchise history. "The play itself was wrong. As a whole, we all have a responsibility to make sure that things like that don’t happen, for anybody to get hit like that.

"From the league standpoint, you have to protect your players. The fact that the referees didn’t take the time within the game to go and look at it, I was really surprised. I was at the game. I was really surprised that they didn’t look at it and that they just kept it moving. That’s not a basketball play."

Tamika Catchings, #24 of the Indiana Fever, celebrates with the Championship Trophy and MVP Award