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Fever Reach Semifinals After Dream Upset as Clark Says WNBA Fined Her $200 Over Ref Comment

Clark's $200 fine for a social‑media jab at referees puts officiating under fresh scrutiny entering the Aces series.

Sep 18, 2025; College Park, Georgia, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) shown on the court against the Atlanta Dream during the first half during game three of round one for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at Gateway Center Arena at College Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images/File photo
Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever celebrates their 87-85 win in game three of the first round of WNBA Playoffs between the Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream at Gateway Center Arena on September 18, 2025 in College Park, Georgia.
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Overview

  • Indiana clinched the first-round series with an 87-85 Game 3 road win, their first playoff series victory since 2015, and open the semifinals at Las Vegas on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.
  • Clark posted that the league fined her $200 for commenting "Refs couldn't stop us" on Instagram and she later joked on X that the Fever bench would be "even more rowdy" in the semifinals.
  • The league does not routinely publicize fines, and the $200 amount aligns with the WNBA’s minimum penalty for public criticism of officiating.
  • Officiating in the Fever–Dream series drew heavy attention with at least 36 fouls called in every game, leading Aces coach Becky Hammon to liken the series to a "football match" and call it "very ugly basketball."
  • During Game 3, sidelined guard Sophie Cunningham was told to back up by an Atlanta police officer near midcourt in a moment captured on video, while Indiana continued without injured stars Cunningham and Clark as Kelsey Mitchell scored 24 and Aliyah Boston hit the late go-ahead layup.