"Got justice for Caitlin Clark": Fever fans react as chilling clip of Sophie Cunningham grabbing Jacy Sheldon's neck during altercation surfaces

The Indiana Fever’s 88-71 victory over the Connecticut Sun quickly turned into an emotionally charged and heated affair. Tensions flared on the court as Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham found themselves at the center of a fiery altercation, with Marina Mabrey and Jacy Sheldon from the Sun heavily involved in the exchange.

Earlier in the game, Clark was poked in the eye by Sheldon and later shoved to the floor by Mabrey. In response, Cunningham amped up the physicality in the final minute. With just 46 seconds remaining, the Fever guard committed a hard foul on Sheldon, and a now-viral clip showed Cunningham grabbing her by the neck as emotions boiled over.

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The internet exploded following the incident, with Cunningham stepping into the role of enforcer and sending a clear message: the Fever won’t be pushed around. Fans took to social media with strong reactions, many praising the former Phoenix Mercury guard for standing up for Caitlin Clark and getting what they called "justice."

"Sophie Cunningham got justice for Caitlin Clark!" a fan said.

Andy froemel @FroemelAndy LINK Sophie Cunningham got justice for Caitlin Clark!

Another fan said:

Michael @Michael_PhxAZ LINK @sophaller is a beast afterwards too! Stepped up and explained it to her the old fashioned way of putting a hand around the back of the neck and bringing her in close. Love that Tres Leches energy!!!

A fan commeneted:

GoldieLee @goldielee1012 LINK Best ending ever with Sophie getting some payback! And, yes I blame the refs for not ejecting Mabry and allowing this to get out of control.

Another fan commented:

Papi @xbzpapi LINK Finally a teammate who protects Caitlin from the aggressions and fights back against those jealous girls. Come on, Sophie. 👊🏻💥💥

A user wrote:

m s @SteeleRaptor LINK that was a martial arts through..Sophie grabbed her head and threw her! She understood the assignment , very clear message to JC Sheldon for harrassing Clark all game!🤡

Another user wrote:

M G @Answer_Me_Bitch LINK She wanted all that smoke... Sophie had in that undertaker pre chokeslam grip LOL

Sophie Cunningham was ejected from the game

Sophie Cunningham was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul and subsequently ejected from the game. However, her ejection had little impact as the result was already well in hand. Additionally, Jacy Sheldon and Lindsay Allen were both assessed technical fouls for their involvement in the altercation and were also ejected from the game.

Talking about Cunningham's performance, she came off the bench and played 22 minutes. The star guard dropped a stat line of five points, seven rebounds, one assist and one steal, while shooting 2 of 5 from the floor, including 1 of 2 from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the Fever improved to 6-5 record and qualified for the Commissioner's Cup final.

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About the author Atishay Jain Atishay Jain is a sports aficionado and an avid follower of the NBA and WNBA, with a deep admiration for LeBron James and Cristiano Ronaldo. Currently, he serves as an Assistant Content Manager with Sportskeeda's basketball team.

Atishay's career spans both Indian and international sports coverage, with a keen interest in cricket, football, basketball, and tennis. His previous roles at News9Live and Sports Tak included live blogging, anchoring sports shows, and participating in debates.

A graduate in Journalism from the Center for Management Studies in Bengaluru, India, Atishay brings a wealth of experience and passion to his work in sports media. Know More

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