In the closing moments of the Indiana Fever’s 90-88 defeat to the New York Liberty on May 25, 2025, the Fever inbounded the ball to star guard Caitlin Clark from the sideline with roughly three seconds left. Clark received the pass just beyond the Fever’s three-point line and attempted a shot, but Liberty guard Natasha Cloud stripped the ball away before Clark could release it, sealing the Liberty’s victory.
Clark reacted as though she had been fouled, and when no call was made, she, head coach Stephanie White, and many fans expressed frustration over the controversial no-call.
On the May 29, 2025, episode of the *A Touch More* podcast, WNBA legend Sue Bird shared her perspective on the controversial final play of the Indiana Fever’s 90-88 loss to the New York Liberty on May 25. Bird stated she did not believe Natasha Cloud’s steal from Caitlin Clark was a foul, saying, “Caitlin, which I’m sure everybody saw this highlight, goes to pull from three, and Natasha pokes it out from underneath. I didn’t think it was a foul.
” She noted that the play sparked widespread debate about the officiating, adding, “What ultimately ended up happening was everybody was chatting about the refs.” Bird praised Cloud’s defensive move as “elite,” emphasizing, “I don’t think people understand how elite that was.” She also highlighted Cloud’s ability to anticipate Clark’s tendencies, noting that Clark often shoots when moving left and drives when going right, which likely contributed to Cloud’s perfectly timed steal.
Regardless of whether fans believe this play was a foul or not, they’re hoping the Liberty and Fever meet several more times in the regular season (with Clark healthy), along with in the postseason, because of how great that game was.
