A fiery Commissioner’s Cup showdown between the Indiana Fever and Connecticut Sun turned physical Tuesday night as tensions erupted during the third quarter of what had already been a chippy contest.
The confrontation began when Fever guard Caitlin Clark, backing down Sun rookie Jacy Sheldon near the top of the key, took a poke to the eye from Sheldon during a defensive sequence. Visibly upset, Clark responded by pushing Sheldon away in frustration.
As Clark voiced her complaints to the officials, Sun guard Marina Mabrey entered the fray, shoving Clark from behind and knocking her to the floor. Teammates from both squads quickly rushed in to separate the players and calm the situation.
Referees assessed the play and upgraded Sheldon’s initial foul to a flagrant. Technical fouls were issued to Clark and Sun veteran Tina Charles for their roles in the altercation, while Mabrey was also hit with a technical but avoided ejection.
The heated exchange wasn’t the only flashpoint of the night. In the fourth quarter, Fever guard Sophie Cunningham delivered a hard foul on Sheldon under the basket, triggering another scuffle. Both players were ejected following the dust-up.
Clark and Sheldon had a history of competitive clashes dating back to their college days—Clark at Iowa, Sheldon at Ohio State—and the intensity clearly carried over to the pros.
Despite the tension, the Fever came away with an 88-71 win. Clark, in her second game back from injury, posted a strong performance with 20 points and six assists. She was coming off a stellar 32-point outing against the New York Liberty, where she hit seven three-pointers and shot 55% from the field.
With input from Fox News.
