The WNBA is getting the idea. When you put Caitlin Clark in a very physical game with Commissioner’s Cup stakes and a sold out crowd on national TV, the perfect recipe is 20 points, six assists and a win for Clark; plus some fisticuffs between her Indian Fever enforcers and the opposing team that has social media acting as if they never saw a tussle between two WNBA players before.
Caitlin Clark Is Scorching Since Return From Injury
Adding more hype to the drama is the fact that there wasn’t a black girl in sight to blame. The tussle was a ‘White Girl Wasted’ confrontation that has everybody talking.
Clark has been balling out since returning from a five-game absence due to a left quad strain. Since her return, the Fever have won two straight and climbed above the .500 mark.
Earlier in the season, Clark got into it with her arch enemy Angel Reese when the Fever trounced the Chicago Sky prior to Clark’s injury hiatus. Fans of both players have been drawn along racial lines ever since Reese beat Clark’s Iowa team in the 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball championship.
On Tuesday, Clark, who clearly has just as big an attitude and aggressive nature on the court as any player in the league got into it with a couple of Suns players.
First it was Marina Mabrey.
With 4:48 remaining in the third quarter, Clark had the ball and was attempting to dribble to her left and was struck in the face inadvertently by Connecticut’s Jacy Sheldon. Clark took exception to the accidental contact and shoved Sheldon in response.
Mabrey saw the drama, walked over to Clark and gave her a shove. Clark, doing her best Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander impersonation, fell to the ground as if she was lit up with a shotty. While the commentators thought Mabrey would be ejected, the referees just handed her a technical, along with Clark and veteran Tina Charles. Sheldon received a flagrant.
Marina Mabrey Shoves Clark After Fever Guard Shoved Jacy Sheldon For Fouling Her
After the game, Meziane spoke on the viral exchange from Tuesday’s game, justifying Mabrey’s decision to shove Clark.
“She just tried to be between two players,” Meziane commented. “The ref has to do their job to clean the game, and make sure that the best team won the game and not just who is more physical.”
That was just round one. Indian Fever forward Sophie Cunningham, a good friend of Clark off the court and a woman currently involved in a scandal accusing her of sleeping with her former Phoenix Suns General Manager who’s married, grabbed Sheldon around the head on a layup attempt late in the game and then the two got into it with Cunningham grabbing Sheldon’s head tightly and dog-walking her a bit as the melee got out of hand.
Cunningham was ejected, but she did nothing to hurt her reputation as Clark’s protector and personal goon. She also ingratiated herself to the Fever fans ever more and the pro-Clark contingent who feel that Caitlin is “picked on” by the Black players in the league for being the anointed savior of the league.
Even as fans debated the call, Connecticut Sun head coach Rachid Meziane didn’t hold back when asked about the situation.
“When you are winning a game by 17 points and you doing this stupid foul, this is just disrespectful,” Meziane said postgame. “I don’t know how Jacy and Lindsay [got] rejected from the game when they did nothing.”
Caitlin Clark Is an Instigator Who Plays Innocent: CC and Jacy Had College Rivalry
Cunningham definitely knew the assignment and she was ejected. Somehow Clark was painted as the victim in all of this, but you can find footage of her taunting players and talking greasy. That’s what she does. She’s a killer on the court, but she’s also an instigator who toes the line between passion and bad sportsmanship. Her indiscretions seem to go unnoticed by most WNBA fans.
This minor scrap, which was blown out of proportion by people who can’t stand to see Caitlin Clark under any kind of pressure or interacting with people who aren’t bowing at her feet, served its purpose as far as getting social media emotionally invested in another Caitlin Clark moment.
Social Media Praises and Criticizes Caitlin Clark Enforcer Sophie Cunningham
While Cunningham was praised left and right, she also took some backlash from people who aren’t Caitlin Clark groupies, but even-keeled and knowledgeable observers of the WNBA
“I understand wanting to defend your teammate but THAT was some bush league and dirty work from Sophie Cunningham. Could’ve done some serious damage to Jacy Sheldon’s neck on the play. SC has a reputation for crossing the line,” said one WNBA reporter.
Said one fan noticing that race goes out the window when it comes to Clark vs anyone, “So you can be white girl wasted AND be hated by the Caitlin Clark cult. Who would of thunk it?”
Others are calling out Clark for be the antagonist and instigator in many situations and then crying victim to continue a false narrative that she’s targeted.
Were The Referees At Fault?
Some fans and the WNBA announcers blamed the referees for “letting things get out of hand”
“The referees let that game get away early. Connecticut kept fouling without calls, Sheldon in particular. Mabry too. A bad team taking out its frustrations. Jacy’s dirty work eventually caught up to her,” added one fan.
So, what did we learn? Nobody is safe when they go hard against the WNBA’s meal ticket. Even another white girl. Go figure
