In a shocking twist following the heated matchup between the Indiana Fever and the Connecticut Sun, WNBA star Marina Mabrey has revealed previously unseen footage of Caitlin Clark behaving “oddly and provocatively” toward Jacy Sheldon before the game even tipped off — behavior that Mabrey suggests was the spark behind the explosive altercation that marred the game’s final quarter.
The match, which ended in a decisive 88–71 win for Indiana and secured their spot in the Commissioner’s Cup Final, turned ugly late in the fourth quarter. A flagrant foul by Sheldon on Clark, followed by retaliation from Clark and a melee that led to three ejections, stole headlines. But Mabrey now claims there’s more to the story — and that Clark “lit the match” long before the flagrant foul happened.
🔥 Mabrey’s Claim: “She’s Not Simple”
Posting on her Instagram story early Tuesday morning, Mabrey — a veteran guard for the Chicago Sky and former Notre Dame standout — uploaded video snippets allegedly from behind-the-scenes team footage. The clips, timestamped from earlier that day, appear to show Clark giving Jacy Sheldon a hard glare and muttering something inaudible as the teams lined up for pre-game warmups.
“She’s not simple,” Mabrey captioned one clip, implying Clark’s behavior was deliberately antagonistic. In a follow-up story, Mabrey added:
“Y’all only see one side when the cameras are rolling. You didn’t see the smirk, the whispers, the shade BEFORE that foul.”
The implication? That Sheldon’s now-infamous swing toward Clark’s face wasn’t totally unprovoked.
🧨 The Fight That Shook the League
During the fourth quarter, with Indiana pulling ahead, Sheldon struck Clark across the face in what was ruled a flagrant 1. Clark, in return, shoved Sheldon, earning a technical foul. The fallout escalated fast — multiple technicals were issued, and after a later scuffle involving Sophie Cunningham (Fever) and Lindsay Allen (Sun), both were ejected alongside Sheldon.
Clark finished with 20 points and helped seal the win, but the headlines were stolen by the drama and physicality — and now, by the question of who really started it.
👀 Angel Reese Enters the Chat
The controversy deepened when Angel Reese, Clark’s frequent on-court rival and former teammate of Marina Mabrey on the Chicago Sky, took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice her thoughts.
Reese, who has had her own run-ins with Clark during their college and WNBA matchups, reposted Mabrey’s video with a simple but sharp comment:
“Y’all keep giving her passes. But if it were ME…”
In another tweet, Reese added:
“Some of y’all owe Jacy an apology. Period.”
The posts quickly went viral, racking up tens of thousands of likes and shares within hours, with fans now fiercely split into two camps — those defending Clark’s competitive fire, and those calling out a pattern of “hidden aggression.”
🏀 A League Divided?
The WNBA has yet to issue official suspensions following the incident, though Clark is likely facing a fine for the technical. Cunningham may also be penalized. However, Mabrey’s leaked footage may now pressure the league to look deeper into the pre-game conduct of players, especially if tensions continue to flare.
For now, the footage has reignited longstanding debates about race, favoritism, and double standards in women’s basketball — themes that have followed Clark since her NCAA days.
With the Commissioner’s Cup Final just weeks away, and social media ablaze with theories and blame, one thing is clear:
This fight wasn’t just about one foul — it was a powder keg, and someone struck the match.
