The Indiana Fever secured their spot in the Commissioner’s Cup championship game, defeating the Connecticut Sun 88-71 on Tuesday night. However, the significant win was largely overshadowed by intense physical play and multiple on-court altercations that culminated in three player ejections in the final minute.
Game Ends in Ejections After Late Brawl
With just 46.1 seconds left in the game, the chippiness that had built throughout the night boiled over. Fever guard Sophie Cunningham committed a hard foul on the Sun’s Jacy Sheldon as Sheldon drove for a breakaway layup. The contact immediately sparked a confrontation involving both players, which quickly escalated into a larger skirmish drawing in teammates, coaches, and security personnel attempting to restore order.
Following an official review, Cunningham was assessed a flagrant foul 2 and ejected from the game. Sheldon and her teammate Lindsay Allen were also ejected, deemed “escalators” in the incident and removed for fighting, according to official Ashley Gloss in the postgame report.
Earlier Physicality Set the Tone
This wasn’t the only heated moment of the contest. A separate skirmish in the third quarter also resulted in multiple fouls and technicals. During this earlier exchange, Caitlin Clark and Jacy Sheldon became entangled, with Sheldon poking Clark in the eye while defending her, leading to Clark pushing Sheldon away. Sun forward Marina Mabrey then forcefully bumped Clark, knocking the Fever star to the floor. While Gloss stated Mabrey’s contact didn’t meet the criteria for an ejection or flagrant 2, the incident led to technical fouls for Clark, Mabrey, and Fever forward Tina Charles, while Sheldon received a flagrant foul 1.
Officiating Under Scrutiny
Both teams voiced frustrations regarding the officiating, suggesting that missed calls and poor game management contributed to the escalating tensions.
Fever coach Stephanie White was pointed in her criticism, labeling “bad officiating” as a league-wide issue. “Everybody [in the league] is getting better, except the officials,” White stated. “I started talking to the officials in the first quarter, and we knew this was going to happen. You could tell it was going to happen. So, they’ve got to get control of it. They’ve got to be better.”
Sun center Olivia Nelson-Ododa echoed these sentiments. “Obviously, there was a physical game tonight,” she said. “I think when things aren’t managed well to begin with that it tends to get out of hand… that’s what happens when you don’t make the proper calls or officiate the game and manage it the right way.”
Sun coach Rachid Meziane did not hold back on Cunningham’s late foul, calling it “disrespectful” and a “stupid foul” given the Fever’s large lead at that point. Clark largely sidestepped the controversy in her postgame remarks, stating, “You guys came for basketball; let’s talk about basketball.” Such ejections for aggressive actions deemed ‘fighting’ by officials are part of the professional basketball landscape when physical play crosses a clear line.
Commissioner’s Cup Final Beckons
Despite the late-game drama, the win held significant basketball implications for the Fever. Coupled with the Atlanta Dream’s loss to the New York Liberty in a concurrent game (which the Fever bench actively tracked), Indiana clinched the Eastern Conference berth in the Commissioner’s Cup championship.
They will now face the Western Conference champions, the Minnesota Lynx, in the final of the league’s in-season tournament. The championship game is scheduled for July 1 and will be hosted by the Lynx.
Clark highlighted the importance of the opportunity. “Obviously, we’re excited. It’s a big deal,” she said. “It’s a hard thing to do… We’re getting to play for a pool of money — that’s pretty fun — and you’re competing to win a trophy. It’s an extra game for us to get better, as well.”
The Fever’s presence in this prominent final comes at a time of unprecedented national visibility for the team and the league. Fueling the WNBA’s surge in popularity, particularly the Fever’s high-profile schedule, the 2025 season features a significant increase in national television broadcasts across networks like ABC, ESPN, and CBS, with the Fever appearing in a remarkable number of these games, including multiple prime-time slots. Their path to a championship stage like the Commissioner’s Cup final further underscores their growing impact and the league’s expanding reach.
Game Performance Details
Beyond the fouls, the Fever’s performance was strong. They were particularly pleased with their second-half effort, expanding an eight-point halftime lead to as much as 21 late in the game.
The win improved Indiana’s record to 6-5, putting them back over the .500 mark for the first time since early in the season. It was their second consecutive win since Clark returned from a five-game absence due to a left quad strain.
Clark led the Fever with 20 points and six assists, while Tina Charles also scored 20 points to pace the Sun.
