Caitlin Clark and new Indiana Fever teammate Sydney Colson channeled Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant during one of their team’s practice sessions, as they imitated the NBA star’s popular celebration gesture.
During an Indiana Fever practice session, a video showed Caitlin Clark make a successful shot while her teammates clapped in support. Shortly after, Sydney Colson walked up to Clark and mimicked Ja Morant’s signature finger guns celebration, a controversial gesture previously linked to Morant’s NBA discipline.
In response, Clark playfully returned the gesture toward Colson as head coach Stephanie White and her assistants observed the interaction.
caitlin bringing ja celly to year 2 pic.twitter.com/z4rEpU8OEn
— correlation (@nosyone4) May 7, 2025
Ja Morant’s finger gun celebration became infamous due to its association with his past controversies involving firearms. The gesture, which he performed during games against the Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat, led to backlash from fans and the NBA, as it was seen as insensitive given his previous suspensions for incidents involving guns.
The NBA initially warned Morant about the celebration, but after he repeated it, he was fined $75,000 for violating league conduct policies. In response, Morant debuted a new “grenade toss” celebration, which also sparked criticism, as many felt it continued the theme of violent imagery.
Despite the controversy, Morant defended his actions, stating that his celebrations were simply expressions of his personality and not meant to promote violence.
Caitlin Clark Effect Is Back, According to WNBA Legend
In one of the recent episodes of her podcast “A Touch More,” WNBA legend Sue Bird proclaimed the return of the “Caitlin Clark effect,” citing the viewership numbers for the recent preseason game between the Indiana Fever and the Brazil national Team that once again set viewership records.
“The ratings for this game were 1.28 million” Bird said. “The game was on ESPN, it peaked at 1.6 (million) and she only played like 18 minutes. So, the Caitlin Clark effect is back.”
The Caitlin Clark Effect emerged as a term to describe the unprecedented surge in popularity surrounding women’s basketball, largely driven by Caitlin Clark’s record-breaking performances at the University of Iowa. During her collegiate career, Clark shattered multiple NCAA records, including becoming the all-time leading scorer in Division I basketball, which drew millions of viewers to her games.
The term gained traction as her games consistently broke viewership records, including the 2024 NCAA championship, which became the most-watched women’s college basketball game in history. Even in the WNBA, her presence helped set new attendance benchmarks, with teams selling out arenas whenever she played.
As a result, the Caitlin Clark Effect became synonymous with the growing cultural and financial influence of women’s basketball, solidifying Caitlin Clark’s role as one of the most transformative athletes in the sport.
For more sports content:
Follow us @HardwoodHeroics for your NBA and college basketball reading fix. You can reach out to Dan Agulto through email at [email protected]. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest sports news, click here!
Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
