Caitlin Clark, DeWanna Bonner altercation leads to five techs, ejection - USA Today

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As the Fever led the Mercury 73-54 with 7:57 remaining in the game, Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner got tangled up in the paint while jockeying for position. Clark was called for a personal foul, her fourth of the night, but tensions boiled over well after the whistle. Clark and Bonner exchanged words after the play. Bonner attempted to walk away but Clark briefly followed before being intercepted by a referee. As officials attempted to deescalate the situation, Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas and Fever forward Myisha Hines-Allen then got into a confrontation and had to be separated. Then another altercation broke out between Fever guard Sophie Cunningham and DeWanna Bonner after Cunningham pointed her finger at Bonner, prompting Bonner to point back at Cunningham. The two also had to be separated by officials and team personnel. When all was said and done, officials assessed offsetting technical fouls to Cunningham and Bonner, in addition to Hines-Allen and Alyssa Thomas. Clark was also called for her fifth technical foul of the season for clapping, which she strongly disagreed with after the game. "It's ridiculous. I got a technical for clapping, so we should all just go on the calendar now and pick a game that I'm going to be suspended for if I'm going to get technicals for clapping," said Clark, referring to the WNBA rule that accesses a one-game suspension once a player accumulates eight technical fouls during the regular season. "If any technical should be taken away, it should be that one... I don't understand it at all," Clark added. WATCH: Tyrese Haliburton gives Indiana Fever an assist with stuck ball But the melee wasn't over. During the next possession, Hines-Allen was called for a personal foul against Thomas. After the play, Hines-Allen pushed Thomas and was charged with her second technical foul of the night, triggering an automatic ejection. "Look, it's a competitive sport. That stuff happens. I felt like the officials did a good job after everything of getting it under control. I appreciate the way they called it after that certainly," Fever head coach Stephanie White said in her postgame press conference. "As a group, we have to be able to have our moment and then regroup and play with poise and composure. It can't continue to go on." Phoenix head coach Nate Tibbetts didn't comment on the dust-up and instead said he's refocusing his team on Wednesday's matchup, where the Fever and Mercury will face off once again. "We've got a competitive group, a veteran group," Tibbetts said. "They've been around us for a long time. They're not afraid of the smoke. We're going to compete at a high level and yeah, just stay with it and keep playing." Bonner signed a one-year contract with the Fever in 2025 and briefly played in Indiana for nine games (three starts) before being waived on June 22, 2025, stating the "fit did not work out." "I appreciate the organization's willingness to grant my request to move on, particularly at this point in my career," Bonner said in a statement. "I wish the Fever great success as they continue to build around this dynamic group of young players." Bonner went on to sign with the Phoenix Mercury and helped the team reach the 2025 WNBA Finals. Upon her return to Indiana on Monday, Bonner was booed by the crowd after knocking down a 3-pointer in the second quarter. Bonner finished with seven points and three rebounds off the bench in the loss. Reach USA TODAY National Women’s Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at @CydHenderson. 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