Fever-Sun skirmishes result in no suspensions
The brouhahas that took place during the Indiana Fever's win over the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday will result in no suspensions, Fox News Digital confirmed.
Fever guard Sophie Cunningham received a fine for her role in the skirmish with Sun player Jacy Sheldon that resulted in the two players being ejected from the game. Cunningham was hit with a standard fine, which any player would receive for a flagrant-1 or 2 foul. She received a Flagrant-2 foul last night for the hit on Sheldon.
The WNBA upgraded Sun guard Marina Mabrey's technical foul to a Flagrant-2 foul after she knocked Caitlin Clark to the ground after Sheldon poked the sharpshooter in the eye.
The amount of the fines was undisclosed.
ESPN and The Associated Press first reported the penalties.
Fever coach Stephanie White reportedly will not be fined for her comments about WNBA officiating. She lamented the lack of control the referees had on the game as the competitiveness began to ramp up.
"This is what happens," she said, via Indy Star. "You've got competitive women who are the best in the world at what they do and when you allow them to play physical, and you allow these things to happen, they're gonna compete, and they're gonna have their teammates' backs. It's exactly what you would expect out of fierce competition.
"I started talking to officials in the first quarter, and we knew this was gonna happen. You knew this was gonna happen. They gotta get control of it. They gotta be better. They gotta be better."
White said each coach brings officiating issues up during league meetings and understands the job is getting tougher, but officials need to find a way to remedy their calls with the ever-changing league.
"The game has changed so much. Players are faster, they're better, they're bigger, they're stronger, they're as good as they've ever been, as athletic as they've ever been. The game is fast, now. Things are happening quickly," White said. "Everyone is getting better, except the officials. So we gotta find a way to remedy it.
"We've heard every coach talk about it. I don't know what the answer is."
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