Tensions nearly boiled over in the opening minutes of Wednesday’s heated faceoff between the Indiana Fever and Connecticut Sun. Just over 3 minutes into the first quarter, Fever star rookie Caitlyn Clark pulled up from near half court and uncorked a deep three-point attempt while being guarded by Sun guard Danana Bonner. Though the shot was off, Clark appeared to think that she was fouled on the come down.
Upon landing, she lost her footing after running into Bonner, who collided with the 22-year-old after attempting to block the attempt. Immediately following the play, Clark rushed over to a referee on the other side of the court and pleaded her case for why a foul should have been called. Bonner did not take kindly to the gesture, promptly getting in her face and exchanging words. In response, Clark appeared to forcefully push Bonner away from her and sternly say something.
The 37-year-old subsequently swiped her arm away while continuing to speak her mind, making for an incredibly tense moment between the pair. Taking to social media, droves of fans sympathized with Clark and her displeasure with the WNBA officials. “Was that not called a foul? That’s literally impeding the landing zone. She has to yield that space,” one X user wrote, with another adding, “That’s a foul, you have to let the shooter land. Knocking them down is a flagrant one.”
Despite the impassioned moment between Clark and Bonner, it seems as though there’s nothing but respect between the two. Prior to tip-off, Bonner said of Clark, “She’s such a great player. She’s not your typical rookie. But in order to win the championship, you’ve got to guard the best player, so I’m up for the challenge.”
Asked about her plans for the offseason, Clark said, “I was focused on beating the Connecticut Sun. I haven’t thought too far down the line. I don’t know what I’m going to do tomorrow or what I’m going to do the next day. So maybe play some golf, that’s what I’m going to do until it becomes too cold in Indiana. I’ll become a professional golfer.”
