Frustrated Caitlin Clark lashes out at Washington’s Julie Vanloo and shoves the rival guard as Fever’s comeback falls short against Mystics

An afternoon match on Wednesday between the Washington Mystics and Indiana Fever resulted in a heated confrontation between sensational debutant Caitlin Clark and experienced opponent Julie Vanloo.

The incident occurred in the second quarter of the Mystics’ 89-84 win over the Fever in Indianapolis on Wednesday, but the tension between Clark and Vanloo was palpable from the start of the first half.

After assisting on a Katie Lou Samuelson field goal to open the game, Clark followed up by pushing off Washington’s Vanloo before making a step-back 3-pointer from the corner. Vanloo backed up on the play, but answered with a 3-pointer of her own at the other end of the court.

But it was only in the second frame that we saw Clark give her Belgian rival a frustrated push, which would undoubtedly have made the confrontation even more beautiful for the officials.

Clark initiated contact with Vanloo from outside the 3-point arc while calling for the ball from teammate Erica Wheeler. Vanloo stumbled backward again, but this time she landed right in Clark’s face as the former Iowa star continued to push her away.

A frustrated Caitlin Clark is seen pushing Julie Vanloo after a series of clashes on Wednesday

Samuelson then tried to calm Clark down, but the rookie guard didn’t seem interested in what he was saying at the time.

The sold-out crowd of 17,274 clearly sided with Clark, who was lucky not to be called for a foul.

Later in the fourth period, Clark was seen pushing Vanloo to the hardwood for one of her five fouls that day.

Although the Fever’s comeback attempts were unsuccessful, Clark played exceptionally well, scoring 29 points and having 13 assists, five steals, five rebounds and three blocks.

Vanloo meanwhile had 13 points and two assists in the game.

According to a national voting panel, Clark currently leads Chicago Sky power forward Angel Reese in the race for Rookie of the Year honors.

The two have garnered national attention with record-breaking rookie seasons, making them the first rookie duo to make an All-Star team since 2014. It’s no surprise then that they are leading candidates for the award.

Thanks to them, the competition has grown significantly in terms of viewership, attendance and merchandise sales. And with so many basketball games yet to be played, it can be argued that one of them should win the prize.

Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever dribbles against Julie Vanloo of the Washington Mystics

But halfway through, the 15-member panel gave Clark the upper hand in a 9-5 vote, according to The Associated Press. One person did not vote.

“Today I would pick Clark just because they have one more win as a team and a 2-1 head-to-head advantage,” said voter Christy Winters-Scott, a basketball analyst for the Mystics.

“That can clearly change as the WNBA season progresses. It has been a great pleasure for me to see how both players have developed into professionals in such a short time in the league.”

Clark leads the WNBA in points (points plus points from assists) with 713, according to ESPN. The No. 1 pick of the Indiana Fever also became the first rookie to have a triple-double in a game, doing so in a win over New York.

Reese set the WNBA record for consecutive double-doubles with 13, breaking Candace Parker’s record of 12 set in the 2009 and 2010 seasons. She leads the league in rebounding with 11.9 per game.