When teams play twice in the span of three days, things tend to get chippy.
That's exactly what happened during Thursday's matchup between the Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream. At the end of the first quarter, Caitlin Clark and Rhyne Howard shoved each other and exchanged some heated words at halfcourt before being separated.
The Fever and Dream played a physical game on Tuesday, with Indiana saying it got "pushed around" in a 91-90 loss. It appears that intensity has spilled over two days later.
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Here's a look at the altercation between Clark and Howard
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Caitlin Clark-Rhyne Howard altercation
Near the end of the first quarter, Clark was dribbling the ball past half court when the referees appeared to stop play for a foul at the other end. As she decelerated, she met Howard and elbowed her in the chest. Howard did not take kindly to it, and she and Clark exchanged some words before being separated.
Caitlin Clark and Rhyne Howard exchange some words 👀pic.twitter.com/8nybGMhxl4
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) May 22, 2025
Lip readers apparently were able to decipher what Clark said to Howard: "I'm not scared of you."
Caitlin Clark: "I'm not scared of you." https://t.co/qvwN4YgFnj pic.twitter.com/4RbuRVpVJL
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) May 23, 2025
The altercation comes on the heels of an extremely physical game between the Fever and Dream on Tuesday. Indiana coach Stephanie White said her team needed to find a way to handle the challenges posed by Atlanta in tonight's game
"They're going to push us, they're going to shove us, they're going to hold us," White said. "They're going to do whatever they're allowed to get away with, and we have to figure out how to use that physicality against them."
Caitlin Clark stats vs. Dream
Clark struggled to find any offensive rhythm on Thursday after the dust up. She scored just 11 points in the Fever's 81-76 win, her worst offensive performance of the young season. Here's a look at her full stat line from tonight.
| FG | 3PT | FT | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | Pts |
| 4-11 | 0-5 | 3-5 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 11 |
Rhyne Howard stats vs. Fever
Howard was solid on both ends of the floor, putting up 24 points and adding two steals and a block, but it wasn't enough to beat the Fever for a second straight time. Here's a look at her stat line from Thursday.
| FG | 3PT | FT | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | Pts |
| 8-17 | 3-7 | 5-6 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 24 |