Valkyries show that Caitlin Clark, booed by Ballhalla, still has ways to go to be all-time great

SAN FRANCISCO – An unmistakable, often ubiquitous and yet oddly foreign sound blanketed Caitlin Clark every time she touched, dribbled or shot the basketball at Chase Center on Thursday night.

The 24-year-old Indiana Fever superstar has been the subject of near-universal adoration whenever she plays a road game, hearing cheers from what should be hostile crowds and ovations from those who are supposed to be antagonists.

Not in the place dubbed Ballhalla.

They had something else ready for Clark:

"BOOOOOOOOO!"

The vast majority of the 18,064 rendered her play-calls and complaints indiscernible with their unceasing din.

It was easy to identify frustration – with her defenders and the officials – when Clark missed on nine of her 12 shot attempts. She waved her arms in disbelief more than enough times to see that.

She also committed four personal fouls of her own, many committed in frustration, or the five turnovers, the products of over aggression as much as it was tenacious Valkyries defense. Her expressions of bewilderment were easy to see.

But not a word could be heard over the relentless jeering the Bay Area crowd directed toward her in the Valkyries' 90-88 victory over the Fever.

"Ballhalla, they were booing at the right times," Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase quipped. "It was amazing, the timing (of it)."

The Fever declined to make Clark available to the media following the loss, instead sending teammates Aliyah Boston and Raven Johnson to the podium.

Boston, who is now in her third season as Clark's pick-and-roll partner, had to go back to her South Carolina days to recall an environment as hostile as the one she faced on Thursday night.

"In college, obviously, you play in sold out arenas," Boston said, before adding, "And you come here and you play in sold out arenas."

Almost every one of those sold out WNBA arenas have reassembled Indiana's Gainbridge Fieldhouse, which rocked with cheers in support of Clark and Co. last week when the Valkyries lost 90-82.

During her one game at Chase Center last season, the Bay Area faithful cheered for both Clark and the Valkyries, seemingly unaware that vitriol toward the visitors was allowed.

Clark did not speak to media after the final buzzer, despite standing about 20 feet from the podium 20 minutes after the game. But if her pregame comments are anything to go by, she entered the arena believing the old rules still applied.

After all, why would it be any different? The Fever's motto last season was, literally, "Every game is a home game."

The Fever expected, at worst, a warm welcome and support equal to the hosts.

"They're into it, they're into the game, positively supporting their team, and they're loud from the tip," Clark said.

She was right about all three of those points, but missed a crucial fourth: the Valkyries homecourt advantage leveled up since her last visit.

And it provided the soundtrack for Clark's worst game of the season, an exhibition of the ways the still-developing star needs to improve.

Her shot selection was wild at times, opting for a number of wild stepbacks that were just as liable to airball as they were to go through the rim. A midrange attack? Nowhere to be seen.

But forced layups, one of which was emphatically swatted by Burton – her old Big 10 nemesis – in the fourth quarter? Those were in steady supply.

Sure, perhaps the Valkyries got away with a foul or two, or even three on Clark. But the same could be said for any offensive player in any pro league. The best know how to play through grabbing or shoving of various degrees.

Clark's defense was also an exercise in frustration, her seemingly unwilling to make any sort of contact with the offensive player until she was ready to commit an obvious foul. Whoever was marked by Clark, be it a star like Burton or rookie Juste Jocyte, had free reign to attack Clark in isolation.

Much credit should go to the Valkyries, who rotated Burton, Gabby Williams, Kaitlyn Chen, Kaila Charles and others onto the Fever star during the 40-minute thriller. Tiffany Hayes, who was the subject of a much ado about nothing internet controversy surrounding Clark, only played five minutes, but every Valkyrie, no matter how much or little they played, had far more experience facing hostile environments while in the pro ranks.

Clark is still a phenomenal, 1-of-1 talent who is on a Hall of Fame trajectory. Her passing repertoire is still arguably the most devastating in the league, and that jump shot, inconsistent as it is, can still singlehandedly torch a defense.

She entered the night averaging 23.8 points and 9.0 assists per game, some silly numbers in the context of a 40-minute game.

But nights like Thursday, played in a hostile environment, displayed space for growth. The icons, the true greats, adjust and evolve when tested.

Time will tell if Clark is among those hallowed few.

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This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 7:13 AM.