The Indiana Fever beat the Phoenix Mercury 86-77 on Monday night, but what stood out most It was bad blood between the two squads. Lost in the chaos was another dominant performance from Caitlin Clark, who finished with 24 points and nine assists to help Indiana secure the victory.
With seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, Clark and Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner got caught in a physical possession.
The bad blood boiled over instantly.
Caitlin Clark cheers on the home crowd as the Fever battle the Mercury in Indianapolis. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) ((Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images))
Clark stood his ground, the two exchanged words and the officials gave Clark his fifth technical foul of the season.
Clark and Bonner became involved during a physical postseason clash in 2024, which included pushing and hitting.
MERCURY STAR WAKES UP FEVER FANS FOR BOOSING DEWANNA BONNER, WHO LEFT THE TEAM AFTER 9 GAMES
Add in Bonner's brief, messy stint as Clark's teammate in Indiana before being forced out of town, and the volatility wasn't exactly surprising.
“Enforcer” Fever guard Sophie Cunningham didn't sit back and watch her superstar get pushed around.
Prior to the Clark-Bonner scene, Cunningham intervened in the confrontation and pointed directly at Bonner, who continued barking at the officers as her colleagues attempted to pull her away.
Cameras later caught Cunningham laughing as Bonner's meltdown intensified and both players suffered technical fouls.
Sophie Cunningham prepares for battle, warming up before Fever greets Mercury. (Photo by AJ Mast/NBAE via Getty Images) ((Photo by AJ Mast/NBAE via Getty Images))
Mercury star and Bonner's girlfriend Alyssa Thomas was quick to defend Bonner. Indiana forward Myisha Hines-Allen jumped into the scrum.
The referees began handing out technical fouls like free samples, slapping Thomas and Hines-Allen with a double technical.
Seconds later, Hines-Allen decided he was done talking and pushed Bonner away. Because she had already been charged with a technical foul moments earlier, the push counted as her second of the night, earning her an automatic ejection.
One of Caitlin Clark's biggest enemies turns out to be a former teammate. (Photo by Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images) ((Photo by Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images))
CAITLIN CLARK GETS EYE PUNCHED AND PUSHED TO THE FLOOR IN A SKIRMUFF WITH SOL PLAYERS
All the whistles, criticisms and expulsions turned the last period into a true marathon. The fourth quarter alone lasted 44 minutes.
When asked about the upbeat ending, Clark kept his focus on the officiating and the stop-start rhythm of the game.
“Obviously I appreciate the referees just calling the fouls,” Clark said.
She also joked that the game might be the fourth-longest quarter in WNBA history.
Despite the chaos that threatened to derail Indiana's momentum, Clark made sure the Fever stayed focused on the only thing that mattered.
“Just stay focused on the goals,” Clark added. “That's winning the game.”
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WNBA Rivalries and Personalities… Monday night's matchup had a lot of both.
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