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Indiana Fever -vagt Sophie Cunningham received praise on social media on Tuesday night when she seemed to defend the Caitlin Clark with a tough mistake on Connecticut Sun Guard Jacy Sheldon.
Cunningham and Sheldon’s warmed exchange turned into a pushing match before players from both teams came to break it up. Cunningham, Sheldon and Sun Guard Lindsay Allen were thrown out of the game with about 40 seconds left before the fever took the victory home.
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Indiana Fever Guard Sophie Cunningham, #8, and Connecticut Sun Guard Jacy Sheldon, #4, go into battle in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on June 17, 2025. (Trevor Ruszkowski-Published Pictures)
The hard bad came after Sheldon stabbed Clark in his eye in the third quarter. Sun Guard Marina Mabrey then pushed Clark to the ground in what was a chippy affair.
As the fever removed the sun 88-71, Cunningham was congratulated for stepping up as the team’s enforcement.
Fever -head coach Stephanie White was upset at how the judges officiated the game and about the inability to take control.
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Indiana Fever Guard Sophie Cunningham, #8, in the second half against Connecticut Sun at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on June 17, 2025. (Trevor Ruszkowski-Published Pictures)
“I think it was pretty obvious that things are brewing,” White said via Indy Star. “When officials don’t get control over the ball game when they allow it to happen … It’s happened all season, all season. It’s not just this game.
“This is what happens. You have competitive women who are the best in the world of what they do and when you allow them to play physically and you allow these things to happen, they have to compete and they want their teammates’ back. That’s exactly what you would expect from tough competition.
Indiana Fever -vagt Sophie Cunningham, #8, and Connecticut Sun Guard Jacy Sheldon, #4, scrub in the second half of a WNBA basketball match in Indianapolis on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
“I started talking to officials in the first quarter and we knew this would happen. You knew this would happen. They need to get control over it. They have to be better. They have to be better.”
