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Calls Mount for WNBA to Take Action After Caitlin Clark Gets Roughed Up Against Sun originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Tuesday’s WNBA Commissioner’s Cup matchup between the Indiana Fever and Connecticut Sun had the intensity and physicality of a playoff game.
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After 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark got into a shoving match with Connecticut’s Jacy Sheldon and Marina Mabrey in the second quarter, thanks escalated dramatically in the third quarter.
With 4:49 remaining in the third quarter, Clark had the ball near the free throw line. As she looked to create separation from Sheldon with her dribble, Sheldon jabbed Clark in the eye. A frustrated Clark shoved Sheldon before she was blindsided by Mabrey, who came out of nowhere to shove the wounded Fever star to the floor.
While Mabrey and Clark ended up with a technical, Sheldon was hit with a flagrant-1 foul.
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To some, those punishments may have been enough, but in the eyes of fans all over social media, the WNBA needs to step up and penalize the two Sun players even more.
“#WNBA Jacy Sheldon and Marina Mabrey, you are thugs. Trash behavior and you deserve to be fined and suspended. @WNBA this is an opportunity to show you actually have leadership in your organization. This too has no place in the league. Fire these referees too, incompetent,” wrote one fan.
“They should suspend Marina Mabrey for the rest of the season tbh,” suggested a second.
“Need to institute fines of 10% of annual salary per flagrant 1 foul. Fines payable to the opponent,” demanded another.
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“SUSPEND MARINA MABREY,” exclaimed another.
“@WNBA this is not basketball… how can you not eject that player that did this to Caitlin Clark,” questioned another.
Sun guard Jacy Sheldon (4) and Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) express frustration with each other.Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Even though Clark was the victim in this scenario, this marked her second tech in the past three days as she also was assessed one during the Fever’s Saturday win over the New York Liberty.
In the WNBA, a player’s first three technical fouls in a single season result in a $200 fine each. The next three techs result in a $400 fine, and once a player is hit with a seventh they are suspended and fined $800.
So, Clark will have to dish out $400 in total to the WNBA after Tuesday. As for Mabrey, this is also her second tech. Whether or not the league will add on additional punishments like fans are requesting is yet to be seen.
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Related: Caitlin Clark’s Behavior Toward Former College Rival Turns Heads on Tuesday
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
