Skirmish Involving Caitlin Clark Leads to 5 Technical Fouls and 3 Ejections

Clark was poked in the eye and responded by pushing the offending player. That set off more altercations in a game Indiana won easily.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark looks to the team bench after making a pass that led to a score in a WNBA game against the Dallas Wings in Arlington, Texas, on Sept. 1, 2024. Tony Gutierrez/AP Photo

The Indiana Fever defeated the Connecticut Sun, 88-71, on June 17 to earn a spot in the 2025 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game. But the biggest story to emerge from that game was a skirmish involving Caitlin Clark. Rough play involving the former Iowa star continued and led to multiple technical fouls, two flagrant fouls, and three player ejections.

It all started midway through the third quarter with Indiana holding a 10-point lead. Clark was dribbling and was fouled and poked in the eye by defender Jacy Sheldon, who has a bit of history with Clark as the two faced off numerous times in the Big Ten when Clark was at Iowa and Sheldon played for Ohio State. While the poke in the eye appeared to be an accident, Clark responded by then pushing Sheldon, which set off a chain of events.