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Caitlin Clark and her WNBA colleagues may be enjoying their off-season after the conclusion of the 2024 season, but not all Indiana Fever players are taking it easy. One of her teammates found herself in a heated dispute during a game on Thursday.

Two Fever players have taken their skills overseas during the off-season, with NaLyssa Smith joining the Zhejiang Golden Bulls of the Women’s Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA) and Kelsey Mitchell signing with the Shanxi Xing Rui Flame. Smith quickly made her presence felt on the Chinese court, becoming involved in a confrontation with an opposing player.

The American forward was seen wearing her usual No. 1 jersey and signature headband during the pre-season game.

However, things turned sour when Smith, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft, reacted angrily after being provoked by an Inner Mongolia player while leading 94-89.

After receiving a push from her opponent as her teammate prepared for a three-point attempt, the former Baylor star was far from pleased, grabbing the ball and throwing it at her opponent. As expected, the Inner Mongolia player retaliated by throwing it back at her.

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The game’s intensity was palpable when an incident caused a brief scuffle between players, prompting teammates to intervene and prevent the situation from worsening. The match continued under a cloud of tension, with the referee handing out seven technical fouls, as reported by Dallas Wings center Kalani Brown on X.

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She humorously remarked, “7 technicals and a potential fight in a pre-season game. The Chinese some crash outs fr,” punctuating her comment with two crying-laughing emojis.

While Clark had a standout rookie season with the Fever, 2024 was challenging for Smith, who recorded her career-lowest averages of 10.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Despite playing in all 40 regular season games for the Fever, Smith saw limited action under then-coach Christie Sides, especially during their short-lived playoff run against the Connecticut Sun.

As Smith approaches the last year of her contract with the Indiana team, her future with the Fever is uncertain. Kelly Krauskopf, the Fever’s president of basketball operations, has remained tight-lipped about any plans for Smith after her current deal expires.

Krauskopf stated: “I’m not going to tell you I know exactly what her future looks like,” “She’s a part of our team right now, and she’s an important part of the team, so she’s a tremendous talent.”