Frustrations with officiating in games have only been growing among athletes. Players are handed technical fouls for showing even a hint of emotion, hanging on the rim a second too long after a dunk, or simply questioning a controversial whistle. But people are done staying silent. Caitlin Clark made that clear when she ensured a questionable call didn’t go unnoticed during the Iowa Hawkeyes’ game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

“That charge was not remotely close to being a charge oof,” the Indiana Fever wrote on supporting Taylor Stremlow.

As for the Hawkeyes’ latest officiating controversy, Clark’s former college team, sophomore guard Taylor Stremlow found herself at the center of a puzzling call. The call came midway through the third quarter of the matchup, when Stremlow drove into the lane to attempt a layup but passed the ball out to her teammate, who was standing open on the three-pointer line.

However, after the pass, she made light contact with a Nebraska defender, who went down on the floor, making the officials immediately signal a charge.

The replay showed minimal contact between the players, and the reaction from the fans inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena reflected that, as they all booed the ref’s call. Yet, despite the controversy surrounding the call, the Hawkeyes never shifted their focus, as they continued to execute on both ends and ultimately closed out an 86–76 win over a ranked Nebraska squad, shooting 49% from the field and 35% from behind the arc. The call itself didn’t alter the outcome, which was predicted to be in favor of Caitlin Clark’s former team with 66.7% by ESPN.

Notably, this isn’t the first time Caitlin Clark has stood up for Stremlow.

During Iowa’s last November clash against the Fairfield Stags, Stremlow found herself at the center of controversy yet again. The guard was handed a technical foul after she celebrated a strong defensive play by flexing and energizing the crowd. On that occasion, too, Clark had taken to social media to air her complaints.

“No way they just gave stremlow a tech for that🤣🤣🤣 refs have to let the girls show emotion,” she wrote on X.

As for this time, the complaints weren’t just aired by Clark alone…

Fans rally behind Caitlin Clark as debate over call explodes online

As the Indiana Fever star’s post went viral on social media, many fans shared their own disbelief over the charge. They felt that the defender never established her position, while others took a shot at the review process and overall officiating standards.

One fan wrote, “Absolutely agree. The defender was still moving when contact was initiated. Textbook blocking foul.” Another couldn’t believe the decision survived a review, adding, “And it was challenged and upheld???? WTF”.

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Some fans then went beyond the single call and questioned how officiating decisions are evaluated in real time. “Can’t allow the officials on the floor to be the ones reviewing the play. No one wants to admit they were wrong. Need to switch to football style where reviews are done by the booth/offsite.”

Over the years, Clark has dealt with her own fair share of controversial decisions on some of the biggest stages. During the 2023 national championship game against LSU, Clark was assessed a technical foul for “delay of the game” after tossing the ball toward the baseline instead of handing it directly to an official. That call, her fourth of the game, forced her to play cautiously for the remainder of the game and drew widespread criticism afterward.

More recently, in the WNBA, Clark was involved in another debated moment during a 2025 matchup against the Connecticut Sun, when she was hit in the eye on a drive with no foul called initially, which ultimately escalated into a brief scuffle. So, having been on the receiving end of questionable calls herself, she understands how quickly these bad calls can impact both players and the games.

Others were far more blunt in their assessment of the moment. “Yeah dude that was a trash call,” one fan posted, while another summed it up simply: “Unbelievable terrible call.”

While the whistle may have come and gone, the moment has only added to a growing list of whistles that continue to frustrate players and viewers alike.