Caitlin Clark fans point out two rules for watching Friday's NBA contest

Caitlin Clark fans have voiced their frustration with what they see as a double standard between the NBA and WNBA.

'On Friday, Charlotte Hornets forward Awad Williams made waves when he landed a hard punch on Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum during a game at Range Center.

The incident resulted in Tatum falling hard and Williams being thrown out immediately and receiving harsh criticism for his embarrassing play.

While NBA fans condemned Williams, Clark's allies were quick to bring up a similar incident that shaped the Indiana Fever roster ahead of the 2024 WNBA season.

During an Aug. 30 game between the Fever and Chicago Sky, Clark was hit with a hard foul by Jewel DeShields and slammed to the ground.

DeShields was only given an outright A-grade for her actions, and Clark's fan reaction seemed much milder than Williams'.

Interestingly, DeShields received praise for her play as some fans and critics defended this as a typical foul in true WNBA style.

However, seeing Williams' start and the criticism he received, Clark's fans wanted to know why DeShields did not receive the same level of criticism and blame.

Clark's fan expressed disappointment, saying, "The same play happened with Caitlin Clark, but the player was not ejected.

Now everyone recognizes Jayson Tatum," while another fan added, "Awad Williams' attack on Jayson Tatum is exactly the same as what DeShields did with Clark, but Williams got kicked out with less discussion about his 'toxic fanbase.

'" A third commenter slammed the reporter, saying, "Awad's tackle on Tatum was a 'disruptive play,' but DeShields' attack on Clark was just a 'normal shove.

'" The WNBA media is a joke.” The NBA and WNBA do not have the same jurisdiction, but Clark's publicity effect among fans has led to calls for more consistency in how the two associations handle these cases.