Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy was livid after Connecticut Sun guard Marina Mabrey slammed Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark to the floor following a dust-up in their game Tuesday evening.
The incident began when Sun guard Jacy Sheldon poked Clark in the eye while defending her, prompting a personal foul call. Clark fans surely had flashbacks to last year’s playoffs, when then-Sun player DiJonai Carrington poked her, leaving her with a noticeable black eye and a tough shooting night.
The crowd was angry.
Clark, frustrated, bumped Sheldon in response, leading to a confrontation. Mabrey then intervened, forcefully shoving Clark to the ground from behind during a dead ball.
“Imagine not kicking Marina Mabrey out after she assaults the face of the league?” Portnoy posted on X. “Sick league @WNBA.”
Portnoy also suggested Clark should not have gotten a technical on the play, considering her bump was in response to being jabbed in the eye. Not to mention, she could be forgiven for not being able to see who she was running into.
Caitlin Clark Gets Hammered, League Still Not Protecting Their Golden Goose
After the game, crew chief Ashley Gloss told reporters, according to the New York Post, that Mabrey’s actions did not rise to the level of an ejection. She wasn’t even hit with a flagrant foul call.
“The contact made by Mabrey did not rise to the level of an ejection,” Gloss said. “Additionally, [it] did not meet the criteria for a flagrant foul penalty two.”
Of course it did. Unquestionably. Sheldon was given a flagrant for her actions due to the potential for injury, but at least it came during a basketball play.
Mabrey trucking the league’s star out of nowhere during a dead ball is an easy ejection call. The league lacks the backbone for it. They continue to allow Clark to get hammered on the court because, in their view, she’s a recipient of privilege.
It’s disgraceful.
RELATED: Dave Portnoy Tears Into the WNBA Over ‘Caitlin Clark’ Investigation: ‘Fans Deserve Better’
Sophie Cunningham to the Rescue
On the plus side, check out how Sophie Cunningham delivers a hard foul to Sheldon in retaliation later in the quarter. That’s the type of enforcer Caitlin Clark has needed.
A hard foul in response from a player who can take the ejection so Clark doesn’t have to retaliate herself will help other WNBA players think twice about getting physical with the star of the league.
Cunningham, when the Fever signed her in the off-season, made it quite clear that she was ready to support her teammate and handle any intimidation tactics opponents might use against the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year.
“Just the competitor that I am, I’m fierce, I’m sassy,” Cunningham said. “I stick up for my teammates. I stick up for myself. Sometimes, I think that’s okay to be feisty and be yourself.”
Clark didn’t have teammates willing to stick up for her last season, which is why players in the league think they can continue to hammer her on the court.
It’s good to see Cunningham step up.
Portnoy, in a separate post, suggested Mabrey should be “kicked outta the league.”
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