Caitlin Clark and Stephen A. Smith (Photos via USA Today and Twitter)
Caitlin Clark is once again at the center of controversy.

Clark and Jacy Sheldon have some bad blood, and it was on full display Tuesday when the Indiana Fever took on the Connecticut Sun.

Cameras appeared to catch a heated exchange between Sheldon and Clark in the second quarter. Sheldon told her, “You can’t do that!”

Caitlin Clark’s apparent response? “Yes, I can! I can do whatever the [expletive] I want to do!”

It only escalated after Sun guard Jacy Sheldon poked Fever guard Caitlin Clark in the eye while Clark was trying to pass the ball.

Sun center Tina Charles quickly came in between Sheldon and Clark. Sun guard Marina Mabrey then ran into the scrum and puffed out her chest, knocking Clark to the ground.

While many blame the Connecticut Sun players, Stephen A. Smith points out Clark’s behavior of playing the role of instigator throughout her career.

“Clearly, when it comes to Caitlin Clark, there’s some resentment, as I’ve articulated before. What people are missing, Monica, is that I have no problem with it whatsoever,” Smith said, per an X post from ClutchPoints.

“Yes, there’s resentment… this is much ado about nothing! In the heat of competition, tempers flare! Last time I checked, women got tempers just like men do. It ain’t a problem! It ain’t a problem at all! It ain’t no big deal at all! I love it, personally.”

He later added, “Caitlin Clark being that golden goose, that rising tide that’s lifting all boats, I stand by my past proclamations that there’s resentment towards her because of that. But I want to take it a step further: There’s also resentment towards her because she instigates resentment towards her sometimes.”

Caitlin Clark Receives Her Punishment

Caitlin Clark (Photo By Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Clark received a technical foul for her role in the first scuffle on Tuesday night.

That wasn’t all.

According to a report from Front Office Sports, Clark will receive a $200 fine for her actions on the court.

“technicals during the regular season start at $200 each for the first three and go up from there. For technical fouls four through seven, a player will pay $400 each. When a player gets to their eighth technical foul, they will pay $800 and receive a one-game suspension,” Front Office Sports reported.

Houston Texans star Azeez Al-Shaair has admitted regrets over his illegal hit to Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the ensuing brawl between the teams in a lengthy statement on social media.  

Al-Shaair’s statement comes as his three-game suspension as a result of the incident has ended and he is slated to return to the field for the Texans on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

On December 1, an Al-Shaair hit to the head of a sliding and defenseless Lawrence caused chaos in Jacksonville. The defensive back needed to be restrained by several coaches and Lawrence has not played since taking the barbaric contact.

‘While so many jumped at the first opportunity to hop on the false narrative – that l’m a dirty player or bad person – the messages from all who stood by me were the only things keeping me mentally afloat during a time of isolation,’ Al-Shaair said on social media.

‘I’ve learned so much from this entire experience. Seeing myself on video – letting my emotions get the best of me to the point where I completely lost it – was an embarrassing and eye-opening moment for me.’

‘I’ve had to earn everything in my life. I never want to allow anyone to get me to a point where I jeopardize everything that I’ve worked all my life to obtain. That was not the way I want to represent myself or my family and I will continue to learn and grow from that moment.’

+2
View gallery

Azeez Al-Shaair has admitted regrets over his hit to Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence

+2
View gallery

The Texans defensive back was suspended for three games as a result of the hit to Lawrence

Al-Shaair said during his three-game ban, he met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and other league executives for the first time, taking issue with how he was characterized in the official announcement of his suspension.

The defender said he thought his character and integrity were ‘unjustifiably smeared’ in the release but the meeting with Goodell and others was ‘productive’ and gave him hope it would not happen again.

‘In that conversation – man-to-man – I owned and acknowledged that my actions following my ejection were careless and, in that moment, I didn’t think about the responsibility I have been blessed with to represent the shield,’ Al-Shaair continued.

‘I also stated that the letter, and specifically the language used in the letter, was equally as careless and conveyed that the context of the words used were not a reflection of my character, nor my career, as I have not been warned multiple times for my play on the field.’

Al-Shaair’s hit on Lawrence was not the only controversial incident he was involved in this season.

During the Texans’ game against the Bears in September, he punched Roschon Johnson, who wasn’t even in the game at the time of another sideline confrontation.

Al-Shaair ended his statement by saying his view is that everyone in the league office and on the field are on the same team to represent the NFL in the best nature possible, something he failed to do earlier this month.

‘Lastly, I’ll say that this world is full of negative people who can’t wait to tear you down, but if you move with love and compassion, the seeds of good you planted in others’ lives can grow into the very tree that shades you with comfort and compassion when you need it most,’ Al-Shaair concluded.

‘I am a man of God, I am a leader, a warrior and a lover. I am also a hell of a football player and I’m grateful to be back doing what I love.’