Caitlin Clark Shoving Marina Mabrey Gets Flagrant 2 after Tennis Legend Leads Calls to Protect Fever Star

Marina Mabrey stood up for her Connecticut Sun teammate Jacy Sheldon by sending Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark crashing to the floor.

Caitlin Clark Shoving Marina Mabrey Gets Flagrant 2 after Tennis Legend Leads Calls to Protect Fever Star

Chris Evert calls for better officiating after Marina Mabrey shoved Caitlin Clark (Image via FirstSportz)

The NBA Finals are in session, and usually that means all other forms of television programs get overshadowed by two teams of 15 players each going at each other to win the championship. Except when Caitlin Clark is playing, she becomes the talk of the town, and more so, if she gets into a scuffle.

She did not get into the scuffle, but had a major hand in the Indiana Fever game against the Connecticut Sun to led to that situation. Clark had been jawing her college rival, Jacy Sheldon, all game long. Then, in the 3rd quarter, a frustrated Sheldon poked the Iowa star in the eye.

When Clark retaliated by pushing her Ohio State rival, Sun teammate Marina Mabrey, who was standing at a distance, came running and sent the Fever superstar crashing to the ground. This led to the scuffle, and players had to be separated.

Officials took all of 15 minutes to review the incidents and ended up handing out a technical foul to Clark and assessed a Flagrant 1 on Sheldon. Mabrey got off with just a technical foul despite making excessive contact on a non-basketball play. Seeing this transpire, tennis legend Chris Evert wrote this on X:

When will these ladies realize, accept, and appreciate Caitlin Clark is the best thing that ever happened to women’s basketball. This is a bad look for the sport and what’s happened to sportsmanship?

Chris Evert wrote on X

The former World No. 1 wrote this as a reply to Associated Press’ Christine Brennan‘s calls for better officiating. She asked if it was right to let Marina Mabrey off the hook with just a technical foul, whereas such plays usually result in ejections.

WNBA hands Marina Mabrey Flagrant 2 for shoving Caitlin Clark

These comments and many other such calls to improve the officiating have been doing the rounds ever since clips of the Sun star shoving Caitlin Clark appeared on social media. Now the WNBA has reacted to those calls.

Marina Mabrey shoving Caitlin Clark in their previous game
Marina Mabrey shoving Caitlin Clark in their previous game (Image via WTHR/X)

Marina Mabrey’s technical from last night’s Fever-Sun game has been upgraded to a flagrant 2, the league told ESPN. A flagrant 2 comes from a standard fine. Additionally, Sophie Cunningham was fined separately for her hard foul with 46 secs to play. No players will be suspended.

Alexa Philippou revealed on X

Per ESPN’s Alexa Philippou, no players will be suspended, but a Flagrant 2 will show up on the 28-year-old’s statistics. It also means that the Connecticut Sun star will have to pay a fine, as will Sophie Cunningham for manhandling Jacy Sheldon late in the game.

Stephen A. Smith reveals why WNBA peers resent Caitlin Clark

On a night when 6 WNBA games were in session, the events of this Fever-Sun game dominated basketball conversations. Part of it had to do with the general notion that her peers resent Caitlin Clark. While talking about it, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith detailed why her peers resent the Fever superstar.

Clearly when it comes to Caitlin Clark, there’s some resentment. There’s also resentment towards her because she instigates resentment. Caitlin can antagonize you. In college, the whole Angel Reese thing started, because Caitlin was giving it to everybody else, she was the one waving her in their face.

Stephen A. Smith on First Take

The 57-year-old was not leveling accusations at Caitlin Clark for seemingly starting those brawls. Instead, he is suggesting that when the reigning Rookie of the Year has the elite game, the fan following, and the clout, and then talks smack to her peers who are already resentful of the first few things, it tends to spark a fire.

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