"Tell the cops to stop harassing Sophie Cunningham": Fans flame police for stopping Caitlin Clark and Fever players from crossing half court

The Indiana Fever reached the semifinals for the first time in 10 years following a hard-fought game against the Atlanta Dream on Thursday. One moment from the game grabbed fans’ attention as police stopped Caitlin Clark and Fever players from crossing half-court to check on a teammate.

A clip of this particular juncture was shared on X (formerly Twitter) by a fan, captioning it with a short note.

"Get some, Sophie Cunningham isn’t budging," the caption read.

In the video, Clark, along with Cunningham and Chloe Bibby, was halted by a police officer at half court as they tried to check on their teammate Odyssey Sims, who had been knocked down during a play. Fans were outraged by this and criticized the officer for harassing the Fever stars.

Here are some more reactions from fans.

The incident occurred during the third quarter of Game 3 as Sims was knocked down by Allisha Gray while driving for a layup. The play highlighted the intensity of the matchup, as the Dream showed themselves to be a tough, physical opponent for the Fever.

After dropping Game 1 by a wide margin, the Fever evened the series at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Tuesday, setting the stage for an intense Thursday matchup. Both teams played at their maximum, with the game ultimately ending in a close 87-85 finish. This was a huge upset as the Fever (24-20) defeated the No. 3-seeded Dream (30-14) to clinch a semi-finals spot.

Despite a heated game in Atlanta, the Fever will now switch their focus to Las Vegas as they prepare to face them at Michelob Ultra Arena on Sunday.

Indiana Fever head coach hails Caitlin Clark for her help off the bench amid injury hiatus

The Indiana Fever have dealt with multiple injuries this year, with Caitlin Clark's absence being the most notable. The guard has suffered multiple injuries, missing five games with a quadricep strain in June before a groin injury sidelined her for the majority of the season.

Despite her injuries, Clark has featured on the bench with her team, often shouting instructions alongside her coach Stephanie White. According to a report by The Athletic's Sabreena Merchant, White has been appreciative of Clark's input on the bench, hailing her basketball IQ.

"Caitlin certainly has a great basketball IQ," White said. "Her ability to communicate some of the things that she's seeing on the floor, offensively, defensive coverages, whatever it might be."

The Fever will take all the help they can get as they continue to impress in the postseason, despite their inflated injury list.

About the author

Arian Kashyap is a basketball journalist at Sportskeeda with over two years of experience at Essentially Sports and Spice Bite and a Bachelor's in Physical Education and Sports Sciences.

Arian's favorite team is the Miami Heat and it’s mainly down to Dwyane Wade being his favorite player of all time. Arian loved how explosive Wade was as a player and he had all the attributes, whether that be shooting, defending or passing. Arian really liked how he won titles both with and without a dynasty behind him.

Arian has also worked with Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools and was the manager for a Delhi-based women’s team called Garwhal Untied. Garwhal won the Delhi league and were runners-up during his tenure.

Arian has judged essay writing competitions for the Commonwealth Students Welfare Group of India in 2023 and was a part of the U-14 team for the Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools academy that qualified for the AIFF Round in 2023.

When not working or watching sports, Arian likes riding his motorcycle and reading.

Know More

Edited by nagpaltusharn25