Caitlin Clark and the Fever overcame Sabrina Ionescu and the Liberty on Saturday (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

The Indiana Fever, led by standout rookie Caitlin Clark, managed an 83-78 upset against Sabrina Ionescu and the New York Liberty on Saturday night in Indianapolis. After the game, Ionescu remarked that the win was akin to a “Super Bowl” for Clark and the Fever, a comment that fans perceived as bitter.

This was the fourth matchup between the Fever and the Liberty, with the Liberty having dominated the previous three games last month, winning each by double digits.

On Saturday, however, Caitlin Clark made history by becoming the first WNBA rookie to record a triple-double, contributing 19 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds to lead the Fever to victory. Ionescu commented on the Fever’s win, stating:

“We played Liberty basketball, but understanding, this is their Super Bowl game. We’ve beaten them three times this year already. We knew they were gonna come into this game really hungry, and it’s tough to beat a team four times.”

Fans were not pleased with Ionescu’s comment, with one suggesting she sounded envious.

“Sabrina a bit jealous. Her shine has dulled a bit,” said Instagram user jondj.

Fan calls Sabrina Ionescu ‘jealous’ after her comment about Caitlin Clark and the Fever
X (formerly Twitter) user @BernieKnowsBall added:

“She mad Caitlin Clark already better than her 😭”

“When will WNBA players let the hate towards Caitlin go?” said user @DaigMuse.

Another fan joked that the Fever always plays “Super Bowl” games due to the large crowds they draw thanks to Clark’s presence.

“The Super Bowl game is every other team in the WNBA when they are facing the Fever,” @JamesClips2 said.

Here are additional reactions to Sabrina Ionescu’s comments about Clark and the Fever’s victory:
Fans react to Sabrina Ionescu’s comment about Caitlin Clark and the Fever’s win vs her Liberty

Sabrina Ionescu says Caitlin Clark, Fever have ‘grown’

Sabrina Ionescu acknowledged the growth of the Indiana Fever after facing Caitlin Clark and her team four times.

“It’s just tough in our league, especially with how every team has grown, and especially this young team,” Ionescu said. “We’ve been able to see how much they’ve grown, just throughout the first half of the season.

She emphasized that teams, including the Liberty, should approach games against young teams with a heightened sense of urgency, saying:

“I don’t think it was necessarily us not playing our style of basketball, it was just understanding that we have to come in with a sense of urgency knowing it’s not going to be as easy as it was in the first couple games that we were able to go up against them, because they’ve just grown.”

This season, Clark is averaging 16.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 39.1% from the field and 33.7% from deep. Ionescu, meanwhile, is averaging 18.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.0 steals while shooting 41.9% from the field and 34.0% from beyond the 3-point line.

The Liberty have a league-best 17-4 record, while the Indiana Fever have a 9-13 record, which is good for eighth place.

Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro