Women's Fastbreak On SI

Referee Explains Controversial Caitlin Clark Technical, Not Ejecting Marina Mabrey

The WNBA referee crew chief of the June 17 Indiana Fever vs. Connecticut Sun game explained the reason for several controversial decisions.
Grant Young|
Jun 17, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Connecticut Sun guard Marina Mabrey (3) fouls Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Jun 17, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Connecticut Sun guard Marina Mabrey (3) fouls Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The women's basketball world is still buzzing about one specific moment from what was an incredibly physical June 17 game between the Indiana Fever and Connecticut Sun.

While this game had plenty of heated moments that led to ejections, flagrant fouls, and technical fouls, the one that stands out the most was when Fever star guard Caitlin Clark was shoved to the ground by Sun wing Marina Mabrey in the third quarter.

This came after Clark and Sun guard Jacy Sheldon had a brief shoving match because Sheldon poked Clark in the eye while playing defense. Mabrey interjected by knocking Clark down, which caused a fracas between both teams.

It seemed obvious that Mabrey would get ejected for this shove. However, after a lengthy review, she (along with Clark) was only assessed a technical foul, while Sheldon's initial foul was upgraded to a flagrant 1.

Fever fans were furious not only that Mabrey was not ejected, but that Clark got a technical foul for being on the receiving end of this non-basketball aggression from Mabrey. And after the game, the contest's crew chief, Ashley Gloss, explained what went into both of these decisions.

"The contact made by Marina Mabrey did not rise to the level of an ejection. Additionally, it did not meet the criteria for a flagrant foul penalty two," Gloss revealed, per an X post from Chloe Peterson.

When speaking about the Clark technical decision, Gloss said, "After the foul by Sheldon, Clark reacted in an unsportsmanlike manner towards Sheldon."

It's hard to imagine that fans will feel satisfied with these responses.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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