Sophie Cunningham rage-baits former teammate as Caitlin Clark faces fine amidst chaotic scenes

Sophie Cunningham riled up former teammate DeWanna Bonner during a heated exchange on Monday night.

As the Indiana Fever held a 19-point lead against the Phoenix Mercury with 7:57 remaining in the fourth, the game descended into chaos when Caitlin Clark got tangled up in the paint with Bonner while jockeying for position.

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Indiana’s superstar was called for a personal foul, and frustrations boiled over after the whistle.

Sophie Cunningham ‘rage-baits’ ex-teammate during Fever win

Clark and Bonner exchanged words, and as the latter attempted to walk away, she was briefly followed.

WNBA officials stepped in to quickly deescalate the initial situation, which saw Clark wave in an effort to get the Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd into the moment.

With the noise level raised, Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas and Fever veteran Myisha Hines-Allen started chirping, before Cunningham and Bonner joined the fracas.

Their altercation appeared to stem from the two players pointing at one another, and they had to be separated by officials and team personnel after quite the stare-down.

“Sophie Cunningham knows… there’s a game within a game,” WNBA broadcasters said, as replays of the incident were flashed onto the screen.

“Sometimes you don’t have to do any talking to send a message.”

Footage of the fourth-quarter chaos quickly went viral, and many basketball fans focused on Cunningham’s starring role.

“That’s my kind of rage-baiting. Don’t say s***, just point,” one wrote on X.

“If stirring up s*** were an Olympic sport, Cunningham would be its Michael Phelps,” another joked.

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USA Network

“Soph trolling. DeWanna, you don’t want that smoke,” a third said.

“Sophie is a damn menace,” a fourth concluded.

Once the situation cooled, Indiana closed out an 86-77 win against Phoenix to get back in the win column after a tough weekend loss to the Atlanta Dream.

Discipline, though, could soon become a problem for the Fever.

Indiana stars face punishment for Mercury fracas

After reviewing the fourth-quarter sequence, referees handed out six technical fouls in eight seconds, with Clark and Cunningham among those penalized.

Monday’s tech was Clark’s fifth of the season, and she is already edging towards a one-game suspension, which would kick in after her eighth.

The WNBA’s disciplinary structure also includes automatic fines that increase as technical fouls accumulate.

Following her league-leading fifth, Indiana’s superstar is expected to receive a $1,000 fine, along with a warning letter.

Cunningham, meanwhile, is expected to cough up $500 for her third tech on the year. The next will carry a $1,000 fine.

Speaking postgame, Clark suggested she was disappointed that the punishment came for ‘clapping’ during the skirmish.

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“It’s ridiculous, I got a technical for clapping. We should all go on the calendar now and pick a game I’m going to be suspended for if I’m going to get technicals for clapping,” she told reporters.

“If any technical should be taken away, it should be that one. If it’s truly for clapping, it’s just ridiculous.”

The Fever and Mercury play again on Wednesday night, and both teams will be looking to avoid any repeat of the hot-tempered clash.

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