- The Indiana Fever and Connecticut Solar have been concerned in a feisty sport on Tuesday night time, which began with Caitlin Clark and Jacy Sheldon stepping into it.
- Sophie Cunningham gave Sheldon a late, onerous foul, leading to a fracas and three ejections.
- Indiana followers have began a GoFundMe to cowl Cunningham’s fines.
The Indiana Fever and Connecticut Solar have been concerned in a combative sport on Tuesday, June 17. It resulted in an 88-71 rout for the Fever, however a number of confrontations took the highlight.
Indiana’s Sophie Cunningham was ejected for a late foul on Connecticut’s Jacy Sheldon and subsequent skirmish. Cunningham has been fined by the WNBA, and followers have began a GoFundMe to pay for the fines.
Cunningham Sticks Up for Clark, Foul on Sheldon Sparks Melee
We reported on the scuffle on Wednesday, however here’s a fast refresher. Indiana’s Caitlin Clark had been battling with Connecticut’s Jacy Sheldon all sport. Sheldon poked Clark within the eye, and Clark was additionally shoved to the bottom.
Late within the sport, Indiana’s Sophie Cunningham fouled Sheldon, who was going for a layup, and grabbed her across the neck. That sparked an altercation, and ended with ejections for Cunningham, Sheldon, and Connecticut’s Lindsay Allen.
As quickly because it occurred, followers tried to get aligned to begin a GoFundMe for any fines incurred by Cunningham.
Cunningham wasn’t suspended by the WNBA, however she might be fined. For getting a Flagrant 2 foul, the Indiana guard might be fined $400. She additionally obtained a separate tremendous for her late foul, and the quantity is undisclosed. Nonetheless, followers have stored their world, elevating $295 on the time of writing on Friday afternoon, through a GoFundMe account.
Ought to Cunningham Have Been Punished at All?
Cunningham needed to obtain some kind of punishment for sticking up for Clark, which is why all this occurred. However it’s admirable of Cunningham to retaliate for her teammate, and it wouldn’t be a shock in any respect if Clark herself paid for her teammate’s fines.
However as I mentioned on Wednesday, the onus is on the referees to regulate the sport. Fever head coach Stephanie White mentioned that this was at all times going to occur, and it rapidly turned obvious in the course of the sport that she was proper.
This match was chippy from the beginning, even earlier than Sheldon poked Clark within the eye within the third quarter. It was a basketball play as Sheldon was going for the ball and occurred to get Clark, however her teammates nonetheless needed to stick up for her, and Cunningham stepped up.
Somebody has to police the play on the court docket, and Cunningham took it upon herself to take action. Cunningham positively earned the respect of her teammates on Tuesday night time!