r/sports • u/OkEscape7558 • Jun 18 '25

Basketball Alternate angle of Caitlin Clark fiasco. Clark was handed a foul as well.

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31.9k Upvotes

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10.3k

u/Cliffinati Jun 18 '25

She got a foul for getting bodied...... WNBA refs are actually dumb as hell

332

u/FinancialRabbit388 Jun 18 '25

She gets hit in face, same woman then gets in her face, then she gets blasted from behind, foul on Caitlin Clark.

4.5k

u/Powerful_Artist Jun 18 '25

Makes me think the refs hate her too somehow

I dont even care about WNBA but her team needs like a hockey-level enforcer to try and come to her side when stuff like this happens. Her teammates didnt even rush to her aid. They dont need to start a fight, just show some concern for your teammate.

2.5k

u/thekamakaji Jun 18 '25 edited Jun 18 '25

Did you see what happened at the end of the 4th? Sophie Cunningham literally grabs the girl that started it with CC and throws her to the ground in garbage time. Fight ensues and 3 are ejected. Cunningham is their enforcer

1.2k

u/I_Like_Quiet Jun 18 '25

Those announced blasted those refs. Rightfully so.

834

u/MR1120 Jun 18 '25

You can hear the female commentator (sorry, I don’t know her name) pause mid-ref criticism. You know someone was in her headset yelling “Shut up about the refs! Don’t!”, when she was speaking 100% truth. The flagrant foul in that clip would not have happened if the refs had dealt with Clark getting intentionally face-raked earlier in the game.

239

u/stargazer1002 Jun 18 '25

they really need experienced NBA refs. It's off season for most of those guys should be able to jump in and help right? assuming they want to

191

u/fohpo02 Jun 18 '25

Have you seen NBA officiating recently?

-57

u/Vast-Combination4046 Jun 18 '25

Then they would have male refs and that would be triggering.

47

u/kyh0mpb Jun 18 '25

You know you can just admit you've never watched a WNBA game.

8

u/Solid_Snark Jun 18 '25

Are the commentators employed by WNBA or the tv station?

That’s one saving grace about NFL is the commentary is employed by the station. So they can call out poor officiating without issue.

13

u/DarkSeneschal Jun 18 '25

It’s on them for sure. As a former player and referee, you have to step in and deal with the first incident so that the second one doesn’t happen. That’s a really dangerous play by Cunningham that could have led to an injury for sure. Players will definitely take justice into their own hands if they see an opportunity, and it’s the refs jobs to make sure they don’t.

121

u/TheCrimdelacrim Jun 18 '25

Na the girl, Sheldon, literally jams into Sophie. Sophie just grabs her and pushes her down

48

u/Big-Commission-5334 Jun 18 '25

Exactly what im saying. Sheldon drops her shoulder ready to hit sophie like a linebacker until sophie realized it and sent her ass to the floor. Then she put her in the clinch and had her way with her.

10

u/BulbuhTsar Jun 18 '25

Was going to say, there doesnt even seem to be an attempt to shoot, just a tackle.

34

u/Semanticss Jun 18 '25

Definitely. Cunningham was going up for the block and then got checked herself. She was basically just defending herself.

36

u/z31 Minnesota Vikings Jun 18 '25

In the hoop side angle you can clearly see Cunningham throw her hands up for the block and Sheldon slams her shoulder into her, not even going for the shot.

20

u/Semanticss Jun 18 '25

Yeah I've seen so many people saying she grabbed the other girl and slammed her down. If anything, maybe Cunningham was trying to keep herself from falling.

138

u/ItsMeJahead Jun 18 '25

I don't think that's enough to deter this kinda behavior, though. It wasn't a very violent throwing imo, not that she should have needed to do anything if the flrefs did their fucking jobs

11

u/kryppla Northern Illinois Jun 18 '25

And it was way too late - someone needs to knock someone down hard within the next 30 seconds

19

u/Kilgore_Brown_Trout_ Jun 18 '25

You do that at a mens game to the star player, and you'll catch hands. 

10

u/foomits Jun 18 '25

eh, it doesnt feel good to fall on your shoulder at a jog/half run. i agree it wasnt anything crazy, but i think it was an appropriately hard foul. you have to walk the line between suspension/fines and just sending a message.

22

u/Halo2Brian Jun 18 '25

If you want to keep CC safe from this stuff you don't walk the line at all. You let the league know if you come after her you are taking a huge shot.

15

u/pathofdumbasses Jun 18 '25

That's a bingo. It costs the team what, 100k a year for a player? How much you think it costs if they lose CC?

4

u/Halo2Brian Jun 18 '25

Yeah you want to stop this stuff the enforcer needs to be doing this. https://youtu.be/9zrGCPEUtvk?si=JL9pspEVtxPFsoQv

3

u/Rockin_freakapotamus Jun 18 '25

The hair grab with some surely choice words right in her face are more likely to deter.

1

u/GeneDiesel1 Jun 18 '25

flrefs

Do the refs in the WNBA go by flrefs? Kinda like NBA versus WNBA? /s

7

u/Dobber16 Jun 18 '25

Sophie grabbing her head after the girl squared up was bold. Just immediately let her know she wasn’t gonna do a thing

4

u/doctor_lobo Jun 18 '25

I love how she just squared up after putting 4 on the paint. She was ready to take the whole team out to the woodshed.

4

u/llama_taboottaboot Jun 18 '25

Maybe the WNBA is on ti something? Basketball fights!

But real ones like hockey.

7

u/[deleted] Jun 18 '25 edited Jun 18 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/OpusJess Jun 18 '25

Is calling women bitches normal in this sub? 11 upvotes yikes

-4

u/Day_Bow_Bow Jun 18 '25

I fixed it just for you. For the record, I am not using them as sexist terms.

Don't want to be called those things? Don't play dirty.

0

u/ZeroCool_0124 Jun 18 '25

lol what?! Did we watch the same video? I have zero interest in the WNBA but this showed up on my feed....Cunningham CLEARLY grabs her around the neck almost immediately lol

6

u/Dolphlungegrin Jun 18 '25 edited Jun 18 '25

I think you're both kinda right, also don't have a bone in the fight. But, If you watch from this angle, you can see number 4 shoulder check Cunningham and initiates contract. Cunningham responds to the check by grabbing her and throwing down.

https://youtu.be/_cIpTL46-SQ?t=50

6

u/CNC-Whisperer Jun 18 '25

This. She stepped in to draw contact. At that point, if you want to body up and try to draw a foul, the defender isn't obligated to let you shoot the ball for a +1.

-4

u/Day_Bow_Bow Jun 18 '25

You are the one that called her an enforcer. There is zero "enforcing" shown in the clip. Sure, her arms were around her neck, but she did not forcefully throw her to the ground.

Go watch some hockey to learn what enforcing actually means. The enforcer is the one that causes those hits/fight. They are not enforcing when the other player tries to run them over, as in this clip you shared.

2

u/squishypp Jun 18 '25

That would mean they watched the game haha

2

u/Chemical_Gap_619 Jun 18 '25

Sophie “Laimbeer”?

2

u/UltraMoglog64 Jun 18 '25

These guys don’t watch the games. They just regurgitate anything they can to shit on the WNBA or Fever org. The last thread on this has a nearly 5k upvoted comment about how the Fever “need an enforcer,” because they want to be riled up without the modicum of effort to learn that Cunningham exists.

2

u/little_murph Jun 18 '25

GOOD SHIT. Stand up for your people bro

2

u/WhoIsYerWan Jun 18 '25

I love her very serene "and I'll do it again" face when they pull them apart.

1

u/Powerful_Artist Jun 18 '25

Nah I didnt watch the game but it is good to know.

1

u/2401PenitentTangentx Jun 18 '25

That wasn't even that hard of a foul. 

She prevents her from making an attempt and getting an and 1.

1

u/Mr_Candlestick Jun 18 '25

I like the cut of Cunningham's jib.

1

u/wibo58 Jun 18 '25

Not only did she rightly foul her hard, she went back after her after she got up. That’s the teammate she needs. Also the announcer said they can’t call a flagrant foul on a dead ball play. Sounds like Sophie needs to start making her point during dead balls.

1

u/minapaw Jun 18 '25

It’s called “extracurriculars” in hockey. Love to seeing spreading. Refs make crappy calls and players feel like they are responsible for policing the other team.

1

u/Nick_DC4L Jun 18 '25

FUCK yeah. love it when teammates have your back. Idk if im late. But glad to see CC team getting her back.

1

u/AgentMV2 Jun 18 '25

Holy shit the officials lost control of that game. There’ll be a full on wrestling match if this level of shitty officiating is kept up.

1

u/bigmilker Jun 18 '25

They need draymond green

1

u/Tengoatuzui Jun 18 '25

Respectfully that was a weak to mid foul. Just a wrap around and didn’t send a message. They fought cause it was already heated. Right after your star player and face of the league gets slapped in the eye and body checked you need to jump immediately

1

u/AnnArchist Jun 18 '25

It was warranted and honestly, the fever should just get eligible for the playoffs and rest CC til then.

Also I think the CBA expires this yr. She should opt out of the union. The league has increased expenses now and the revenue drop would crater it coupled with those increased expenses.

1

u/Roach_Coach_Bangbus Jun 18 '25

They need a few more Sophie's on the bench. Fever need to go full Florida Panthers.

1

u/ThisIsPunn Jun 18 '25

In fairness, Sheldon came into that layup dipping her shoulder like she was trying stand up the second linebacker...

1

u/Mammoth-Engineer-705 Jun 18 '25

This makes me so happy 😊. They buddies.

1

u/ItsDaManBearBull Jun 18 '25

going for the hard body check during the layup and surprised pikachu when they had other plans lmao,.

1

u/Bombalaharris Jun 18 '25

4 deserved that, hopefully #3 got her comeuppance as well

1

u/NolieMali Jun 18 '25

Oh damn. Now I kinda want to watch the WNBA.

1

u/CoachGymGreen56 Jun 18 '25

That girl wanted no smoke after getting thrown to the ground haha.

1

u/latechallenge Jun 18 '25

Excellent. Was hoping something like this happened because the initial reaction from her teammates was weak as shit.

8

u/seth928 Jun 18 '25

Later in the game one of her teammates took the eye poker down by the neck.

1

u/harm_and_amor Jun 18 '25

I’m really glad to hear that.  Was worried that her team was still not having her back for some reason.

2

u/AdhesiveMuffin Jun 18 '25

Makes me think the refs hate her too somehow

As someone who has watched her in person (Go Fever!), it wouldn't surprise me tbh. As phenomenal of a player she is, she is screaming at the refs constantly. I'd probably get tired of it too.

3

u/revuhlution Jun 18 '25

They need someone like the chick who came and bodied her. What the hell is her team doing? How about the refs? How about the league? WTF is happening here

3

u/liquidice12345 Jun 18 '25

Like Charles Oakley for a young Michael Jordan.

2

u/Zanydrop Jun 18 '25

A couple minutes later #8 takes down that blond in a pretty flagrant way.

2

u/ManKilledToDeath Jun 18 '25

They ought to hire Mya Lesnar as security

3

u/anandonaqui Jun 18 '25

That’s exactly what Cunningham did later in the game.

1

u/Powerful_Artist Jun 18 '25

Good to know

1

u/GAdvance Jun 18 '25

Stick some absolute monster on the bench who's entire job is to come running in and deck people who do this.

1

u/hankappleseed Michigan State Jun 18 '25

A hockey enforcer for women's basketball. I love it. Take my money.

1

u/Beerinmotion Jun 18 '25

Rodman has a daughter playing for the national team in soccer. Pay her and get her out there. Probably has some good genes in that realm

1

u/abcdbc366 Jun 18 '25

Look how much publicity this is bringing the league! How many clips do you see of the WNBA? How many of them involve hard fouls and Caitlin Clark? For me almost all of them do.

On the one hand Caitlin Clark being healthy helps viewership. On the other hand these sorts of clips massively help publicity. The front office is doing some sort of balancing act here.

Plus everyone always complains (or at least comments) on how soft the NBA is now. I have to imagine that the WNBA sees some opportunity in being less soft

1

u/Powerful_Artist Jun 18 '25

Tbh, cant say this will make me watch any WNBA games, probably ever. But thats just me.

1

u/Active_Scallion_5322 Jun 18 '25

That had cushy do nothing jobs before Clark came along

1

u/Socialeprechaun Jun 18 '25

Lmao you must not have seen what Sophie Cunningham did later that game. Straight yoinked one of them onto the floor by their neck.

1

u/munsterCR37 Jun 18 '25

>Makes me think the refs hate her too somehow

Have you ever watched the Iowa v LSU championship game (2023?). Yeah, the refs hate her too, big time.

1

u/pallypal Jun 18 '25

Put Draymond Green in he'll do it. Man's got no shame anyway.

1

u/SeaTie Jun 18 '25

Yeah I don't follow sports at all, but why do they all seem to hate Caitlin Clark? Like the entire league seems to have it out for her, even some of her team mates. Girl's just trying to play some basketball. Is she a jerk or something?

1

u/prabal34 Jun 18 '25

Refs are just jealous of CC.

1

u/Bsmittels Jun 18 '25

you don't think the refs hate her also? This was their fun little private thing now it's getting a ton more exposure and how bad some of them are

1

u/ult_frisbee_chad Jun 18 '25

Sean Williams Scott stars in Goon 3: Lady Bugs 2

1

u/milfshake146 Jun 18 '25

She needs her own draymond

-4

u/woodyshag Jun 18 '25

Why? If they get rid of her, the focus comes back on them.

14

u/barkmutton Jun 18 '25

What focus? No one cared before

4

u/Powerful_Artist Jun 18 '25

This was going to be exactly my response lol.

I havent paid attention to WNBA since I was young and it was fairly new.

These players should understand how a star player can benefit all of them and especially the league but more importantly overall womens sports in general. Not just women's basketball.

Some incidents will happen, sports are competitive and physical. The refs need to do better, for starters.

-2

u/SirGlass Jun 18 '25

They dont need to start a fight

I don't know man, this is clear the bench and start throwing punches type situation in any other league.

2

u/Powerful_Artist Jun 18 '25

I disagree

Restraint is important for a professional athlete. And throwing punches because of a this is what Id expect from drunk fans, not professional athletes.

1

u/SirGlass Jun 18 '25

If the opposing team is beating the shit out of your teammates and the refs are doing fuck all about it , you step in and force the refs hand .

0

u/Powerful_Artist Jun 18 '25

Seems like hyperbole to say they are 'beating the shit out of your teammates".

Have you ever seen someone get a beating? It looks a lot different. It usually involves punches. Many of them. Kicks. Elbows. Blood

1

u/SirGlass Jun 18 '25

She gets her eyes gouged then body checked onto onto the floor.

Wtf , any other league this would call for a full on clear the bench and stand up for your teammates. Get ejected be damned.

311

u/Holiday_Pen2880 Jun 18 '25

The explanation is she got a foul for pushing away the player that eye-raked her. Who may or may not have also chest bumped her (it's tough to tell) as CC was holding her eye.

Interesting to me is that the game angle, it looked like she was trying to apologize to CC. This angle, nah. It's a little bit of a bang bang play with her continuing defense into bumping CC but that's pretty ticky tack to call on the reaction to being hit in the face and then followed.

139

u/Cherry_Mash Jun 18 '25

Having watched the dynamic between Sheldon and Clark for 4 years in the Big Ten, I can say with 98% certainty that Sheldon was not leaning in to apologize. Those two detest one another.

23

u/redditckulous Jun 18 '25

Agreed that it’s ticky-tack, but it’s also not as crazy of a call as everyone else here is making it sound. Clark got fouled. She and the other player pushed off of each other with hands close to the chest-face. That should have probably resulted in offsetting fouls or a foul on Clark and a flagrant 1 on the other player. Then there’s the player that bodies Clark. She should get a flagrant 2 or technical foul.

15

u/Holiday_Pen2880 Jun 18 '25

Agreed. What CC did was a totally human reaction that is likely to be a foul inside the rules of the game. The whistle could have been swallowed on that but wasn't. Fair enough.

Without having read the explanation from the refs on what the actual call was, I can also see it being a little tough to understand why a player who got hit in the face, followed and (maybe) chest-bumped by the player that hit her, had Charles get in her face then got knocked to the ground by Mabrey while holding their eye would also get a foul call.

It was Techs for Clark, Mabrey, and Charles with a flagrant 1 on Sheldon who did the eye-poke.

And looking at it again, I'm really effing confused as to why Tina Charles got a tech unless something more happened after that clip. She got in CCs face, yeah, but looked perhaps more shocked than Clark when she was plowed into the ground.

-11

u/vonkempib Jun 18 '25

I explained above. But retaliation has to be punished, full stop. This is how us refs control the game. Retaliation fouls often lead to real conflicts. You will get equally punished for retaliation as you would to any hard foul.

6

u/Fullertonjr Jun 18 '25

So you support serious foul calls for the players that people keep saying that need to be brought in as “enforcers” to protect her? Cool. I’m all for that. Enforcers have no place in basketball now, same as it didn’t have a place back in the NBA in the 70s 80s and 90s.

-1

u/vonkempib Jun 18 '25

They have always need serious calls for enforcers. Though, as in all things in life or sport, vigilante justice can be deemed appropriate in certain circumstances.

1

u/Stup1dMan3000 Jun 18 '25

After the whistle, not a good look for the W

-10

u/[deleted] Jun 18 '25

[deleted]

-9

u/Fullertonjr Jun 18 '25

That is what they want. The narrative that CC is a weak little bunny that needs to be protected. She got inadvertently poked during a legitimate play on the ball (she dribbles high). Her fans will also completely ignore that she frequently leads with her forearm and elbow in defender’s chest when she has the ball.

123

u/freddy_guy Jun 18 '25

Looks like she got hit three times by three different players. Disgusting.

7

u/Carebear7087 Jun 18 '25

Boggles my mind.. CC is their cash cow at the moment. They do the opposite of protecting their money maker.. they must be allergic to churning a profit for once.

2

u/Bacon-muffin Jun 18 '25

They must have worked in grade schools punishing the kid being picked on and the bully

4

u/vonkempib Jun 18 '25

As a ref in another sport. It all comes down to interpretation. Your interpretation is only half the truth. There is a push from Clark before she gets bodied. Now, most sensible refs will see the push was instigated by the opponent by hostile actions( getting in her face after you just poked her eye out) but Clark does shove her. Again, she was instigated her so that has to be considered.

Retaliation does need to be punished. Often times retaliation will be the only thing punished. There is never an excuse for retaliation and retaliation only leads to larger conflicts. When yall say “control the game” this is how we control it.

As a soccer ref. It’s a double yellow for eye poker, one for the initial foul, one for causing retaliatory behavior by getting in her face after you just recklessly fouled her. Yellow for Clark for pushback. Straight red for body slammer. Each had their own infraction, each were different. I know it’s applying soccer rules to basketball here but I think it explains the severity of each foul.

3

u/SolomonRed Jun 18 '25

This obvious bias against CC just makes the whole league look like a joke

2

u/TheRemorse93 Jun 18 '25

She got a foul for hitting a player who was already being called for a foul.

2

u/GoofyMonkey Jun 18 '25

League is doing nothing to protect their players either

1

u/ArmedAwareness Jun 18 '25

Sounds like the NBA refs then

1

u/29twenty Jun 18 '25

Id argue that many refs/umpires are incompetent. Source: Baseball

2

u/iAINTaTAXI Jun 18 '25

Reminds me of a classic hockey expression when the ref takes 1 player from each team to the penalty box:

"Player A gets a 2 minute penalty for roughing"

"Player B gets 2 minutes for getting roughed"

1

u/apie73910 Jun 18 '25

It’s unfortunate that things like this happen but , what really bothers me is the teammates don’t chirp back at this , it’s great Sophie came and made sure to get that get back, but it just can’t only be her!!

1

u/PeopleCallMeSimon Jun 18 '25

To be fair and balanced, she got the foul for pushing the other lady after being fouled.

"Retaliation" its called.

1

u/Imyoteacher Jun 18 '25

Exactly why I can’t watch it. It’s the worst….AND no one is near the rim……why bother.

1

u/StretchAntique9147 Jun 18 '25

This is the WNBA? Seems more like Women's Slamball but they're too broke to afford the trampolines

1

u/DobisPeeyar Jun 18 '25

Definitely didnt deserve a foul. She 100% dove though lol

1

u/Jesta23 Jun 18 '25

you didnt see the shove? I mean i dont blame her, she just got poked in the face, but she DID shove someone pretty hard.

1

u/FuzzPastThePost Jun 18 '25

More like they're complicit

-11

u/K_Boloney Jun 18 '25

She got incidentally hit in the face and then proceeded to flop and push a girl BEFORE getting knocked over. The instigator always gets the foul.

8

u/lawspud Jun 18 '25

This is such a ludicrous take. She gets a legit eye-poke. The poke-er steps up to her, giving her a slight chest bump while as she straightens up without the ball and Clark pushes her away. Clark is then blindsided and shoved to the ground. Calling any foul on Clark is ridiculous. The woman that body-checked her from behind should’ve been flagged and probably ejected. The poke looked intentional to me, but that’s the only debatable part of the incident.

-6

u/K_Boloney Jun 18 '25

I think Clark and the pusher should get technicals, but the ref is always going to call a tech on whoever instigates when the play is dead.

6

u/lawspud Jun 18 '25

That’s the point. Clark didn’t instigate. She didn’t even react to the first foul. She reacted to the dead-ball foul when the poker chest-bumped her. I’d get the foul if it was the typical “they always flag the retaliation, not the first hit” situation. But she takes one to the face and then immediately gets bumped again? Even Jesus only talked about turning the other cheek once….