Tuesday night's game between the Connecticut Sun and the Indiana Fever was a fiery contest at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The Fever's 88-71 win over the Sun booked Indiana's place in the Commissioner's Cup final against the Minnesota Lynx on July 1 – but viral incidents involving Fever star Caitlin Clark have captured attention in online discourse.
Clark and Sun guard Jacy Sheldon, one-time college rivals in the Big Ten, reignited that rivalry on Tuesday – first, amid Clark's contention that she can do whatever she wants without reprisal from WNBA official, then after Sheldon accidentally swiped at Clark's face while defending her in the third quarter.
Sheldon was assessed a flagrant foul on the play, after Sun guard Marina Mabrey shoved Clark to the court for sniping at Sheldon. The former Ohio State star was eventually ejected in the game's final minute, following a hard foul and a confrontation with the Fever's Sophie Cunningham.
The chippiness continues at the end of Fever-Sun
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 18, 2025
Sophie Cunningham with a hard foul on Jacy Sheldon, who took exception to it.pic.twitter.com/EDdnYx8LLw
But Clark was the main story after the game - and not just because she scored 20 points and handed out six assists in 29 minutes. As one of the WNBA's most marketable and recognizable players, Clark is "at the center" of what former NFL player and Fox Sports host Emmanuel Acho says is akin to modern-day "Jordan Rules" in the WNBA.
"If you are ever trying to ascend into becoming a star, or if you are a star, you're going to have a target on your back," Acho said of Clark on Wednesday's episode of "The Facility."
Caitlin Clark has a target on her back, but Jordan had the “Jordan Rules,” and @KingJames is still getting players best shot.
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) June 18, 2025
The price you pay for stardom is everybody best shot. It’s expensive, but Caitlin can afford it.pic.twitter.com/clQjgZQ3c9
Acho cited Dennis Rodman's breakdown of how the Detroit Pistons would defend Michael Jordan and Pacers guard Benedict Mathurin's proclamation that LeBron James had to prove himself to him as examples of how basketball greats are always being hunted by players who are younger or hungrier.
Clark is nowhere close to an all-time great yet, but she is easily the WNBA's most marketable and recognizable player in just her second season. As the Fever continue progressing toward championship contention, Acho thinks the "target on Clark's back" will get larger with time; this is the price Clark will have to pay for stardom.
"A lot of people want to knock her off because she is one of the biggest stars," Acho said. "If I can knock you off, what does that say about me? That's what everybody has to deal with."
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
The Dallas Wings have waived guard Grace Berger. The move comes just one day after Berger made her Wings debut in Tuesday’s 87–63 win over the Seattle Storm. Signed to a seven-day hardship contract on July 17, Berger logged four rebounds, two assists, and one block in 10 minutes off the bench in Seattle. Her appearance marked her first WNBA game since playing for the Indiana Fever earlier this season. Before suiting up for Dallas, Berger expressed optimism about the opportunity. “I think they’re an up-and-coming team,” Berger told DallasHoopsJournal.com before the All-Star break. “There are a lot of young players mixed with some good vets that I’ve been watching and playing against for a couple of years. I’m excited to be on their team and learn from them—people like Arike [Ogunbowale], obviously, there’s a lot to learn from her.” Though her time with Dallas was brief, Berger brought a poised presence to the floor and contributed during key second-quarter minutes when the Wings were climbing out of an early deficit. Berger, Indiana’s former No. 7 overall pick in 2023, remains a candidate for future hardship or reserve opportunities around the league. In 28 career WNBA games, she has averaged 2.7 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per contest. Dallas (7–17) returns to action Friday night against the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center. Tipoff is set for 9 p.m. CT on ION.
The New York Yankees have made their 2025 goals abundantly clear: They're trying to return to the World Series and win it all. In an effort to do so, the Pinstripes traded pitcher Nestor Cortes and infielder Caleb Durbin to the Milwaukee Brewers this season, adding closer Devin Williams to the roster. Halfway into the season, it looks like that was a big mistake. The Yankees are now looking to fill gaps in the both the bullpen and the infield before the MLB trade deadline rolls around at the end of the month. Utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera was great at third base, but suffered a potentially season-ending injury in May. The Yankees tried to compensate by shifting Jazz Chisholm Jr. to third, but it was clear Chisholm excels at second, and he's since been moved back. Durbin, on the other hand, has only gotten better in Milwaukee. "Over 75 games this season, Durbin is slashing .265/.350/.382 with five homers and elite contact skills at the plate," Alexander Wilson of Empire Sports Media wrote. "He ranks in the 95th percentile in whiff rate and 98th in strikeout rate — rare company for a young infielder. Durbin’s advanced plate discipline would’ve been invaluable in a Yankees lineup that too often leans on boom-or-bust approaches." Then there's Devin Williams, who has been part of a shaky-at-best Yankees bullpen. He has certainly seen improvement since the beginning of the season, when he was pulled from closing duties after a blown save to the Yankees' division rival Toronto Blue Jays. However, it hasn't been quite enough. Toronto swept New York in a four game series earlier this month, securing their lead of the AL east over the Pinstripes. Williams pitched the final inning, giving up two earned runs. He has a 4.82 ERA over 37.1 innings pitched in 41 games. Williams keeps improving, and hopefully will prove that the Yankees made the right choice by acquiring him. However, that still doesn't fill the gaping hole New York has at third base, and they're likely missing Durbin's consistent abilities in the field and at the plate. The Yankees have until the July 31 MLB trade deadline to make any trades to address these issues. Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more! Cam Schlittler is Not Yankees Paul Skenes Yankees Fighting Red Sox for Diamondbacks Pitchers Yankees’ Aaron Judge Ties Alex Rodriguez on All-Time List Braves Troll Yankees' Jazz Chisholm With Walk-Up Song Yankees in Trade Talks With Pirates
The Pittsburgh Steelers have an interesting quarterback situation that has been monitored by NFL fans throughout the 2025 offseason. The organization was in pursuit of four-time league MVP Aaron Rodgers for over three months, and the quarterback finally signed a one-year deal. He was then in Pittsburgh for mandatory minicamp. He is the unquestioned starter heading into the 2025 season, and he is coming off of a quietly good season with the New York Jets in 2024 statistically. He was bouncing back from a serious injury, so it should be expected for him to play even better in 2025. Rodgers got better as the 2024 season went along after missing all of 2023, and he is now further removed from his Achilles injury. He has a decent amount of weapons on Pittsburgh's offense, and the team is expected to rely on its run game and defense once again. Rodgers won't be asked to do too much, which should be a recipe for success for the 41-year old quarterback. Will Howard spoke to the media in Latrobe, PA on Thursday morning, and he had nothing but great things to say about the starting quarterback for Pittsburgh. The 41-year old has been heavily criticized in the media in the past for being a bad teammate, but every report that has come out of Pittsburgh has suggested otherwise. Rodgers has already expressed his willingness to mentor Howard and show him the ropes as he goes through his rookie season, which is something that has gotten a lot of the fan base in Pittsburgh excited about the addition of Rodgers. Rodgers has always been misunderstood throughout his career. He has been blamed for countless things that simply weren't his fault. It seemed that everything that went wrong with the Jets was somehow because of the quarterback, despite the fact that the Jets organization has been one of the worst in all of sports over the last decade or so. The fan base in Pittsburgh was frustrated with the way Rodgers handled his free agency, as he seemed to drag out his signing with Pittsburgh. The quarterback said he was dealing with some things in his personal life that made him want to take his time, which some fans took issue with. After these new comments from Howard, the fans should completely flip in their opinions on Rodgers. He is approaching this job with the Steelers in a positive manner, he is bought in, and he is helping the younger guys on the roster. Steelers’ Offense Has A Chance To Be The Best Its Been With Aaron Rodgers The offense in Pittsburgh has been inconsistent, and sometimes absolutely stagnant in recent years. The run game has fallen apart at times, and the quarterback play has been abysmal on occasion. That shouldn't be the case in 2025, as Rodgers' experience and talent should be able to take the unit to the next level, especially if the offensive line can take a step forward. This will open up the run game, which will only help the offense as a whole. Rodgers will have an absolute animal to throw to on the outside in DK Metcalf, as well as some speedsters in Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson. Pittsburgh also rosters one of the best tight end rooms in the league with Pat Freiermuth, Jonnu Smith, and Darnell Washington. Rodgers will be able to end his career on a high note with these weapons, and the near-decade long draught of playoff success could come to a close.
It's not quite as painful, of course, as having to trade away point guard Jrue Holiday, whose veteran presence and defense were keys to the Celtics winning the 2024 NBA title, but still, given the way this summer has gone--with Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis and center Luke Kornet all exiting stage left--it's another bit of erosion to the Celtics roster. This time, it's JD Davison, the talented point guard who could never quite tame his style of player enough to warrant a shot at a role in Boston. Worse, Davison could never quite carve out a path to the Celtics despite the team liking his upside--with Holiday, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard on board, there had not been much room for Davison. The Celtics waived Davison, their 22-year-old second-round pick in 2022, on Thursday. As NBC Sports Boston wrote: "Davison spent the first three years of his NBA career as a two-way player for Boston. The Celtics had converted his two-way contract to a standard two-year deal in April and picked up his team option for the 2025-26 campaign in June. "Parting ways with Davison puts the Celtics back under the second apron of the luxury tax. Boston now has an open roster spot, though any addition would put the organization back over the second apron." Davison was the MVP of the G League in 2024-25, after he averaged 25.1 points and 7.6 assists, with 5.3 rebounds, in 30 games. Being the G League MVP is always a double-edged sword--it means you're one of the best players in that league, but it also means that your NBA team did not feel you were worthy of a lengthy stay. The Celtics played Davison in just 36 total games over three seasons.