Caitlin Clark Getting Flatlined by Connecticut Sun in Chippy Game Infuriates Fans: “Jealousy Can be Ugly”

Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark and Connecticut Sun guard Jacy Sheldon's rivalry dates back to their time in college.

Caitlin Clark Getting Flatlined by Connecticut Sun in Chippy Game Infuriates Fans: “Jealousy Can be Ugly”

Jacy Sheldon and Caitlin Clark's rivalry blows up WNBA social media (Image via FirstSportz)

Caitlin Clark usually brings excitement through her logo threes and blindingly quick passing. The Indiana Fever superstar has used those two skills along with her speed and ability to dissect defenses to become an All-WNBA 1st-teamer in her rookie season.

This season, she has only played half of her games after sitting on the sidelines with a quad strain. When she played, the point guard was nothing short of brilliant. Her stats might be similar to last season, but that is despite playing with new teammates and under a new system.

After returning from her quad injury, Clark blitzed the defending champion New York Liberty. Tonight, many expected her to continue that form. However, she faced tough defensive pressure from the Connecticut Sun’s Jacy Sheldon.

Sheldon knows Clark’s game better than anyone, as the guard has squared off against the Fever star from their days in college. Sheldon is Clark’s first true rival, as they have had quite some tense moments against each other.

In tonight’s game, that rivalry resumed as Sheldon’s intense pressure led the Fever star to trash-talk and lash out several times. Then, late in the third quarter, while trying to defend Clark, the Sun guard’s hand landed on her rival’s face.

Caitlin Clark clasped her eye, turned around, and shoved Jacy Sheldon. Seeing this, Tina Charles and Marina Mabrey came to their young teammate’s defense, but the latter’s shove sent the Fever superstar crashing to the floor.

Fans lose their minds after Caitlin Clark gets hammered

WNBA fans watching this game understood well and clear that Angel Reese‘s rivalry against Caitlin Clark was nothing in comparison to what Jacy Sheldon has towards her former Big Ten compatriot. All those chippy moments between them all throughout the game was a result of that long-standing rivalry.

However, fans did not appreciate why Marina Mabrey had to send the Fever superstar crashing to the floor. The league is known for its catfighting nature, and there have been lots of incidents in the past. But throwing someone down like that was unwanted. Check out examples of those reactions below.

Basketball fans were also infuriated that the officials only slapped a technical foul on Marina Mabrey. The officiating dumbfounded them more when Sheldon was slapped with a Flagrant 1, and Clark, too, was awarded a technical. They could not understand the rationale behind these decisions.

Jacy Sheldon is Caitlin Clark’s true rival

When Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese battled in their rookie season, many suggested that they had a rivalry. However, the players themselves did not understand the comparison, and neither did many former players. Some felt the perfect comparison should be Sabrina Ionescu.

Jacy Sheldon and Caitlin Clark in college
Jacy Sheldon and Caitlin Clark in college (Image via WNBA/X)

However, those who have followed Clark’s rise from being the best recruit in Iowa Hawkeyes history to her rookie season in the WNBA would know that Jacy Sheldon is her true rival. The Ohio State star guard has faced off against Clark numerous times as part of the Big Ten conference.

As they grew older, their rivalry intensified when Clark led her Hawkeyes to win against Sheldon’s Ohio State Buckeyes. The latter is a women’s basketball powerhouse, but could not stop the Clark-led run. Sheldon and Clark’s competitiveness has led to some skirmishes in their final year in college.

Both 23-year-olds are midwestern women who wear their pride on their sleeves. That is why they kept going at each other until the final whistle. Officials tried to stand in between, but it seems their intense rivalry had finally broken the plane. This sets up an exciting outlook for their next battles over the next two months.

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