OUTRAGEOUSLY BIASED!” — Analyst SLAMS WNBA Officiating After Caitlin Clark & Sophie Cunningham Get Targeted by Sun Players in Explosive Clash

“Is this basketball or a brawl disguised as a sport?” One analyst didn’t hold back as fans erupt over what many are calling the most disgraceful display of officiating in WNBA history.

A GAME GONE TOO FAR?

The Indiana Fever’s recent face-off against the Connecticut Sun was meant to be another chapter in Caitlin Clark’s rising stardom. Instead, it turned into an explosive collision of controversy, aggression, and alleged officiating failure that has now rocked the league.

Clark, already under the spotlight in nearly every game she plays, once again found herself on the receiving end of hard contact—this time from multiple Sun players. Most notably, Marina Mabrey and DiJonai Carrington were seen delivering questionable body checks and swipes, with many fans and analysts accusing them of “targeting Clark intentionally.”

But it wasn’t just about Caitlin. Sophie Cunningham, known for her fearless energy and grit, also got tangled up in escalating tension, resulting in a series of intense confrontations with Sun players that visibly rattled the court.

ANALYST CALLS OUT “CORRUPT” OFFICIATING

After the game, WNBA analyst and former pro player Lisa Hendricks took to live TV and social media to call out the referees, accusing them of ignoring blatant fouls and failing to protect high-profile players like Clark.

“What we witnessed wasn’t just bad refereeing—it was dangerous neglect. Caitlin Clark was hacked, shoved, elbowed, and baited, and the refs swallowed their whistles,” Hendricks raged during a postgame breakdown.

“You have young talent bringing new eyes to this league. Why are we allowing her to be treated like this? Where is the accountability?”

Her rant has since gone viral, drawing support from former WNBA players, coaches, and thousands of angry fans.

SOCIAL MEDIA IN FLAMES

The incident has set social platforms ablaze:

#ProtectCaitlinClark and #FixWNBARefs are trending across X and Instagram.

Fans are circulating slow-motion clips of Clark being repeatedly fouled without calls.

Some are even calling for an independent review of the referees involved in the game.

Even NBA stars have chimed in, with Damian Lillard reposting a clip of Clark getting bodied under the rim, captioning: “Y’all seeing this too, right?”

LEAGUE RESPONSE: SILENCE… FOR NOW

The WNBA has yet to issue an official statement regarding the controversial officiating. But sources close to the league suggest that internal discussions are heating up, especially amid rising complaints from multiple teams about recent refereeing inconsistencies.

Meanwhile, the Indiana Fever has remained tight-lipped—though insiders reveal that Coach Christie Sides was livid in the locker room after the game and may be planning to file a formal grievance.

THE BIGGER ISSUE: CAITLIN CLARK’S TARGET STATUS?

This isn’t the first time Clark has been physically targeted on the court. Her meteoric rise and massive media attention have reportedly made her a marked player—with some insiders suggesting there’s a quiet resentment among veterans who feel she’s been “handed the crown.”

“She’s not just playing basketball. She’s surviving an ambush every game,” one former coach told ESPN anonymously.

SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM: “WE’RE NOT PUSHOVERS”

Amid the chaos, Sophie Cunningham has also been vocal. In a postgame interview, she defended her and Clark’s reaction to the physicality:

“We came to play, not to be punched. If they’re gonna play dirty, we’re not backing down.”

Her fiery response has only fueled the debate—should the WNBA tighten its officiating, or is this all just part of a more aggressive, physical era of women’s basketball?

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

With video clips going viral, fan petitions gaining thousands of signatures, and even sports networks demanding officiating reform, the league is under immense pressure to act.

This latest clash may prove to be more than just a bad night on the court—it could be the tipping point that forces the WNBA to confront deeper issues of fairness, bias, and protection for its rising stars

Sophie Cunningham calls out WNBA refs for not protecting Caitlin Clark after starting fight to protect her

Indiana Fever teammate takes on ‘enforcer’ role, gains over 800,000 new social media followers after defending star

Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham threw a jab at the WNBA and its referees Saturday.

While speaking with reporters about her fiery and physical defense of teammate Caitlin Clark Tuesday against Connecticut Sun players, Cunningham called out the league for “not protecting” Clark during the phenom’s young WNBA career.

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) and Connecticut Sun guard Jacy Sheldon (4) get into a fight in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis June 17, 2025. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)

Cunningham became a viral sensation over the last week after committing a hard foul on Sun guard Jacy Sheldon, who poked Clark in the eye earlier in the game. A brawl between the teams ensued with Cunningham at the center of it for Indiana. Cunningham, Sheldon and Sun guard Lindsay Allen were ejected from the game with about 40 seconds left before the Fever took home the victory.

“During that, it was just part of the game. I think the refs had a lot to do with that. It was a build-up for a couple years now of them just not protecting the star player of the WNBA,” Cunningham said. “At the end of the day, I’m going to protect my teammates. That’s what I do.”

Lack of equal protection for Clark by referees has been one of the WNBA’s biggest criticisms since she entered the league last year.

Clark’s rookie year in 2024 included several controversial incidents in which Clark was roughed up by opposing players. Sometimes, referees failed to call a foul, sparking fan outrage.

This season, in a loss to the New York Liberty May 24, Clark took contact from New York’s Natasha Cloud on the final play of the game. Referees did not call a foul, prompting Clark to throw her hands up in confusion, and she and Cunningham barked at the referees as the game ended.

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) and Connecticut Sun guard Jacy Sheldon (4) scuffle in the second half of a WNBA basketball game in Indianapolis June 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

A replay showed Cloud pushing her shoulder into Clark’s the moment the ball came loose. The Fever were down by two, and a foul would have sent Clark to the free-throw line with a chance to win the game.

Cunningham is taking matters into her own hands to punish players who get too physical, in her opinion, with Clark. And Cunningham also appears to be keeping referees on their toes.

Former NBA All-Star Joakim Noah, who built a reputation as an “enforcer” during his career while protecting a young Derrick Rose, told Fox News Digital in September he would urge the Fever to get a player to protect Clark for 2025.

“If I was the owner of the Indiana Fever, I would get a real enforcer in there to protect her,” Noah told Fox News Digital.

“Sometimes I feel like she is getting hit because she is a very talented person. … But, at the end of the day, we’re in the business of winning games, so if I’m the owner [of the Indiana Fever], I’m getting a real enforcer in there.”

Who is Sophie Cunningham?

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham poses for a photo May 17, 2025, before a game against the Chicago Sky at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis May 17, 2025. (Grace Smith/Imagn Images via IndyStar)

Cunningham has become a folk hero to many, and her popularity has skyrocketed in the days since the fight.

Prior to Tuesday’s game, Cunningham had fewer than 400,000 followers on TikTok.

At the time of publication, she had 1.2 million on TikTok, and that number is only growing.

She has an estimated increase of more than 300,000 followers on Instagram since the game as well, with a total of more than 800,000 at the time of publication.

With Cunningham earning the nickname “the enforcer” for the Fever, fans counting on her to protect Caitlin Clark can rest easy knowing she is a black belt in the Korean martial art of Taekwondo.

She earned the black belt at the age of 6.

Her father Jim played football at the University of Missouri, and she ended up following in her dad’s footsteps on the football field.

A 2014 article by the Columbia Missourian reported Cunningham was the first female to ever score any points for the team in history, when she kicked two of four extra points in place of the team’s regular kicker, who had torn an ACL.

Cunningham even handled kickoff duties.

“I was so nervous,” Cunningham told the outlet. “I mean, I’ve never played football before in all my life. Right when I got the ball (on the opening kickoff), I couldn’t hear anything. I just put the ball down and kicked it.”

Cunningham comes from a family of farmers and credits that upbringing for the person she is today, according to five-part feature series by the University of Missouri.

“So much of our success goes back to what we learned here,” Cunningham said of working on the farm. “We loved coming out to the farm to help. We found out how to work hard and work together. It made us farm strong.