Caitlin Clark got dropped to the floor in the third quarter tonight after a hard shove from Marina Mabrey. She’d just been poked in the eye. There was a scuffle. Refs sorted it out with technicals and a flagrant. But one thing stood out more than anything: none of her Indiana teammates stepped in.
Caitlin Clark Not Getting Backed Up By Fever Teammates Is Embarrassing
Marina mabrey clearly shoving caitlin clark to the ground after a DEAD BALL and not getting ejected from the game is absolutely unbelievable. That was so clearly not a basketball play at all. Seriously do better refs… pic.twitter.com/vClvZK361C
— #22caitlinthegoat (@ccthegoat22) June 18, 2025
When nobody stepped in to help the Fever’s and the WNBA’s most prized possession it was embarrassing. Caitlin Clark, the face of the franchise, is getting beat up nightly and her teammates act like it’s none of their business. No pushback. No confrontation. No presence.
If Draymond Green saw someone shove Steph Curry like that, he’d have dropkicked them into the baseline seats. And you know what? That’s how it should be. You don’t let your star get tossed to the floor and then just jog to the free-throw line. You step in. You stand up. You fight for your teammate.
Sophie Cunningham’s Act Too Little Too Late
Finally a teammate got Caitlin Clark’s back after the assault she’s taken tonight. Sophie Cunningham you are a G. #wnba pic.twitter.com/YABrJPsMO1
— Matthew Barnett (@MatthewBarnett) June 18, 2025
When Sophie Cunningham fouled Jacy Sheldon late in the game, it looked like Indiana might finally show some fight. Sheldon went down hard, and Lindsay Allen rushed in to defend her teammate. Words were exchanged, tempers flared, and ejections followed.
Cunningham’s foul felt more like performative toughness than genuine team defense. It didn’t come when it mattered. It didn’t come when Caitlin Clark got shoved to the floor earlier. That moment—when Clark was poked in the eye and then dropped by Marina Mabrey—was when Indiana needed someone to step in. That’s when a message needed to be sent. Instead, everyone stood around.
Clark wasn’t asking for a fight. But someone should’ve been in Mabrey’s face. Someone should’ve drawn a line. Instead, they let it slide. That’s not team basketball. That’s not what leaders do.
By the time Cunningham decided to act, it felt reactive. Forced.
Connecticut backed Sheldon immediately. Indiana faked it later.
Clark’s Getting Targeted
- She leads the WNBA in hard fouls drawn.
- She gets bumped, bodied, and hit off the ball constantly.
- Tonight she got poked in the eye and shoved to the ground in one sequence—with no protection.
Clark’s not asking for special treatment. But the fact that her own team won’t defend her when she’s being physically targeted is disgraceful. You’d think there’d be some pride, some sense of loyalty. There’s not.
Where’s The Leadership?
We’ve seen this kind of thing happen all season. The excuses range from “earning your stripes” to “it’s part of the game.” That’s nonsense. Clark’s already proven she belongs. And if her teammates won’t stand up for her now, it’s fair to wonder if they ever will.
The Fever have veterans. They have physical players. Yet nobody was willing to put their body in the middle of a confrontation. Nobody stepped to Mabrey. Nobody picked Clark up with anything more than a pat on the back. This isn’t how you want your team to react if your star is getting the rough stuff. Somebody on the Fever needs to become an enforcer, and do it quickly.
