It was the on-court brawl that had everyone talking, and it came with a price. During the Indiana Fever’s game against the Connecticut Sun on June 17, 2025, there was tension flowing heavily throughout the evening.
Things reached a boiling point when star player Caitlin Clark was poked in the eye and then pushed by the Sun’s Jacy Sheldon. While still regaining her balance, Clark was then shoved to the ground by Marina Mabrey, causing an uproar from Fever fans.
By the fourth quarter, Fever guard Sophie Cunningham had had enough of watching her teammate be pushed around and decided to take matters into her own hands.
She ended up grabbing Sheldon by the hair and pulling her to the ground, leading to a brawl involving several different players, including Sheldon and the Sun’s Lindsay Allen.
In an episode of her recently launched podcast, Show Me Something, Cunningham recalled that infamous moment and discussed an injury she sustained during that game.
"Last second-intrusive thought, I was like ‘f--- it,'" she began.
"She didn't mean to do it, but she did chip my tooth. It's a little discolored… we literally cracked teeth in the middle of the game, like, face-to-face. There's a couple players on their team that just do a little bit extra stuff,” she continued.
Cunningham also revealed what led up to her decision to ultimately instigate the fight.
"During that, it was just part of the game. I think the refs had a lot to do with that. It was a build-up for a couple years now of them just not protecting the star player of the WNBA," she said. "At the end of the day, I'm going to protect my teammates. That's what I do."
Cunningham says she was fined around $900 for her role in the brawl; however, it ultimately led her to gain a massive amount of supporters.
