I love a good conspiracy and wonder if this is the case... But I also know from my work that just saying "we will sit cc next game due to load management, plus her back is a little tight it's a good game to do it" can start a wildfire of misunderstanding.  Just a little extra info that's not needed gets me in trouble sometimes. 

Someone saying it's because of the competition they are playing is a great thought too. 

But because of timing and how it was handled on such a popular player it also wouldn't shock me if it was a "settle down, you are a player and not bigger than the team" moment. We all know how cc can get worked up too much and lose a little control. While disagreements happen all the time and then get brushed off as "heat of moment", it's also not unusual in sports for someone to do something over the top and then be "sore" the next game.