Sophie Cunningham made her presence felt in the closing moments of the Fever’s win against the Sun on Tuesday.
She went after Jacee Sheldon from Connecticut as she attempted a layup, which ended up sealing the game for the Fever with just 17 seconds remaining.
This incident sparked a chaotic situation involving Cunningham, Sheldon, and Lindsey Allen from the Sun.
Sheldon had earlier gotten entangled with Fever star Caitlin Clark following a collision caused by her teammate Marina Mabry.
“I didn’t really get it,” said Sun head coach Rakid Mezian regarding Cunningham’s foul after an 88-71 triumph.
“After winning by 17 points, committing a foul like that feels unnecessary. It just comes off as rude… why would you do that?” he added.
Cunningham, who joined the Fever in the offseason through a trade with the Mercury, seemed to address the situation with an Instagram story from the Fever’s media day, appearing nonchalant.
The officials handed out flagrant fouls to both Sheldon and Mabry, which clearly added to the Fever’s frustrations as the game progressed.
“When referees don’t manage the game well, things can escalate like that,” said an exasperated coach White. “Let the best athletes compete physically. They’ll stand up for one another.”
“It feels like everyone is improving except for the officials,” he stated.
Mezian echoed those sentiments, criticizing how offensive plays aren’t being monitored adequately across the league.
Sunguard Jerin Brown remarked, “At a certain point, you have to stand up for yourself when something isn’t right.”
The Fever’s win marked a significant moment as they look forward to the upcoming Commissioners Cup Championship on July 1.
