Caitlin Clark’s Teammate Sends Official ‘Warning’ To WNBA Referees originally appeared on The Spun.

Caitlin Clark’s teammate sent an official “warning” to the WNBA’s referees.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft has been on the receiving end of some very physical defense since coming into the league. Clark, who stars for the Indiana Fever, was involved in a heated incident against the Connecticut Sun. Clark was hit in the eye by Sun guard Jacy Sheldon and then knocked to the ground by one of Sheldon’s teammates.

Later in the game, Sheldon was knocked to the ground by Sophie Cunningham, who has become Clark’s enforcer.

Cunningham is blaming the WNBA’s referees.

Indiana Fevers' Natasha Howard, Lexie Hull, Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham watch as Golden State Valkyries celebrate their 88-77 win in WNBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco on Thursday, June 19, 2025. (Photo by Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers/Getty Images

Indiana Fevers’ Natasha Howard, Lexie Hull, Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham watch as Golden State Valkyries celebrate their 88-77 win in WNBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco on Thursday, June 19, 2025. (Photo by Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers/Getty Images

Clark’s teammate is warning the rest of the league – and the league’s referees – that if the WNBA’s officials don’t take control of the situation, she will.

“During that, it was just part of the game,” Cunningham said postgame. “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, not protecting the star player of the WNBA. And so at the end of the day, I’m going to protect my teammates. That’s what I do, and I’m a team player.”

On Saturday, ahead of the Indiana Fever vs. Las Vegas Aces game, Cunningham made it clear that if the WNBA’s referees won’t take control of the situation, she will.

“I think the refs had a lot to do with that. It was built up for a couple years now, just not protecting the star player of WNBA,” she said.

Cunningham probably isn’t wrong to at least partially blame the WNBA’s referees for letting things escalate to the level that it did.

However, it’ll be interesting to see just how physical Cunningham gets with Clark’s opponents moving forward in the 2025 WNBA regular season.

Caitlin Clark’s Teammate Sends Official ‘Warning’ To WNBA Referees first appeared on The Spun on Jun 22, 2025

This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jun 22, 2025, where it first appeared