Sun vs. Fever score, highlights: Caitlin Clark, Indiana win contentious game
The Connecticut Sun visited Gainbridge Fieldhouse to take on Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. Here is how it all went down.
The Indiana Fever have officially punched their ticket to the WNBA's Commissioner's Cup final.
The Fever defeated the Connecticut Sun 88-71 in Indianapolis on Tuesday to pick up their second consecutive win. With the Fever's victory over the Sun and the New York Liberty's win over the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday, the Fever advances to the Commissioner's Cup championship game on July 1, where they await their Western Conference opponent.
Caitlin Clark had 20 points in the win, which marked her second game back from injury. Natasha Howard notched the 50th double-double of her career with 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Kelsey Mitchell added 17.
Here is a recap of the Fever's win over the Sun:
Sophie Cunningham ejected for fighting
Another scuffle went down with 46.1 second remaining in the game. As the Fever led 87-70, Sun's Jacy Sheldon drove to the cup. Sophie Cunningham wrapped up Sheldon around her neck area to attempt her from scoring on the shot attempt. Sheldon went down hard and instantly got up charging Cunningham, who responded by pushing Sheldon's head down.
A flagrant 2 foul was called on Cunningham for fighting, which triggered an automatic ejection. Sheldon, who was involved in an earlier scuffle with Caitlin Clark, picked up her second technical foul of the night and was also ejected. Connecticut's Lindsay Allen was also ejected for fighting.
End of Q3: Fever 68, Sun 52
The Fever's lead over the Sun is up to 16 points heading into the fourth quarter. Kelsey Mitchell leads the Fever with 17 points, while Natasha Howard has a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Caitlin Clark added 15 points and six assists. Tina Charles has 20 points and four rebounds for the Sun.
Caitlin Clark involved in scuffle with Marina Mabrey
The Sun’s Jacy Sheldon was guarding Fever superstar Caitlin Clark, who attempted to create separation from the defender by backing up into her. Sheldon swatted Clark in the face while attempting to poke the ball away, leading to Clark turning over the ball. Clark instantly covered her right eye and appeared to be in visible pain as Sheldon bumped into her again. Clark pushed Sheldon away from her and Connecticut’s Marina Mabrey responded by shoving Clark to the ground.
A common foul was originally called on Sheldon. The incident was reviewed by the referees, who upgraded the foul on Sheldon to a flagrant foul type 1. A technical foul was also called on Clark, Mabrey and the Sun’s Tina Charles. Mabrey's shove did not result in an ejection, which the broadcast announcers said is "hard to believe."
MORE: Caitlin Clark shoved onto court by Sun's Marina Mabrey during scuffle
Halftime: Fever 47, Sun 39
The Fever have an eight-point lead over the Sun heading into halftime.
Caitlin Clark swiped back-to-back steals that spurred a 10-2 run for the Fever to take a 12-point lead in the second quarter, marking the largest of the game. The Sun responded with a 4-0 spurt to cut the Fever's lead to eight-points heading into halftime. Clark, of course, believes the Fever should be up by more.
"I think (our defense) was good, but still had some lapses. I think if we took better shots on offense, we wouldn't give up easy layups on the other end. It killed our run," said Clark, who had 12 points (4-of-7 FG, 3-of-4 3PT), five assists and two steals in the first half.
Tina Charles has a game-high 16 points for the Sun, while Olivia Nelson-Ododa added six points. The Sun are struggling from beyond the arc and are shooting 1-of-3 from three, compared to 4-of-12 for Indiana.
End of Q1: Fever 24, Sun 23
The Sun's Jaelyn Brown knocked down a 28-foot 3-pointer in the closing seconds of the first quarter to bring Connecticut within one point of the Indiana Fever.
Natasha Howard leads the Fever with 10 first-quarter points, in addition to six rebounds. Aliyah Boston added four points, and Caitlin Clark has three, which she picked up on another shot beyond the arc following her 32-point performance against the Liberty on Saturday.
The Sun's Tina Charles also has 10 first-quarter points, in addition to three assists. Marina Mabrey added four points for the Sun, who are looking to end a two-game skid on the road.
What time is Connecticut Sun vs. Indiana Fever?
The Connecticut Sun will face off against the Indiana Fever at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, June 17, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
How to watch Connecticut Sun vs. Indiana Fever: TV, stream
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis)
- TV: NBA TV
- Stream: WNBA League Pass
- Local TV: MeTV Indianapolis, NBC SPORTS BOSTON
Indiana Fever starting lineup vs Connecticut Sun
Connecticut Sun starting lineup vs Fever
The Paste BN app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.