Last night's WNBA game between the Indiana Fever and the Connecticut Sun was not close, but it more than made up for the lopsided score with plenty of drama on both sides.
Fever guard Caitlin Clark was on the receiving end of multiple cheap shots early in the third quarter. Then, with less than a minute remaining in regulation, Sophie Cunningham got revenge on behalf of her teammate.
Cunningham committed a hard foul on the Sun's Jacy Sheldon to prevent an open layup. As soon as Sheldon got off the ground, a skirmish involving players, coaches, and security broke out.
Things were HEATED between the Sun and Fever tonight
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 18, 2025
-Caitlin Clark T'd up
-Marina Mabrey T'd up
-Jacy Sheldon assessed flagrant
-Sophie Cunningham ejected pic.twitter.com/CUnso6z4a9
Cunningham received a flagrant foul 2 and was ejected from the game. It was a small price to pay for protecting her teammate, who is constantly getting battered by opponents for reasons that are still unclear.
Speaking of small prices to pay, Cunningham wore super affordable adidas basketball shoes during the hotly contested WNBA game. Cunningham wore the adidas Women's Exhibit Select 2.0 in the "Solar Red/Lucid Lemon" colorway.
Speaking of small prices to pay, Cunningham wore super affordable adidas basketball shoes during the hotly contested WNBA game. Cunningham wore the adidas Women's Exhibit Select 2.0 in the "Solar Red/Lucid Lemon" colorway.
The adidas Women's Exhibit Select 2.0 launched in 2024 with a retail price of $110 in adult sizes. Online shoppers can now find Cunningham's adidas basketball shoes for $45 on Amazon.com.
The adidas Women's Exhibit Select 2.0 was engineered specifically for lady hoopers. It features a soft textile upper for a stretchy and comfortable feeling.
Meanwhile, adidas Lightstrike technology in the midsole offers lightweight, responsive cushioning. Lastly, the rubber outsole features an aggressive multi-directional traction pattern for outstanding grip on the court.
The "Solar Red/Lucid Lemon" colorway complements the Fever's uniforms nicely. Its Solar Red upper is contrasted by an eye-catching shade of Lucid Lemon on the adidas branding.
Cunningham began her career with Nike before switching to adidas in 2022. The veteran guard is not a signature athlete (adidas has not had any in the WNBA since Candace Parker's retirement).
But hopefully, the brand can hook her up with some of its more popular basketball shoes — especially since she is taking on the role of enforcer for the league's brightest star.
Stay locked Sports Illustrated's Kicks On SI for all your footwear news from the WNBA and beyond.
Caitlin Clark's signature Nike logo with Nike will be unveiled in Holiday 2025.
Caitlin Clark debuted the Nike Kobe 6 Protro "The Bellas" for her pet dog.
Caitlin Clark shared her favorite Nike Kobe sneakers with a young fan.
Kelsey Plum and Sabrina Ionescu highlight the WNBA's unfair rule on sneakers.
Angel Reese's "Pretty Gritty" Reebok sneakers are out now.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
The 2025 WNBA season has been nothing short of electric. From Angel Reese’s rebounding clinic, to Paige Bueckers igniting Dallas’ playoff hopes to Caitlin Clark struggling to stay healthy - the league has never seen this kind of consistent national buzz. But while the league’s biggest names continue to dominate the spotlight, a different kind of superstar is quietly putting together one of the best all-around seasons we’ve seen in recent years. Meet Napheesa Collier. Or better yet, recognize her. The Minnesota Lynx forward is leading her team the best record in the league — currently 22–5 after Sunday night's loss to the Atlanta Dream. She’s not doing it with flashy dunks or viral moments. She’s doing it with pure dominance. And yet, somehow, Collier is flying under the radar in the MVP conversation. Let’s talk about the numbers. Collier is first in the WNBA in points per game (23.5), fourth in blocks (1.6), fifth in steals (1.8) and fifth in field- goal percentage (52.1). If you play fantasy basketball, you already know she’s been the most valuable player all season — ranked No. 1 overall in standard fantasy formats. She's doing everything: scoring, defending, facilitating, leading. And most importantly? She’s winning. The Lynx don’t have the bright lights of New York or Los Angeles. They don’t have a viral media machine like Indiana’s. They just have one of the most efficient, hard-working and complete rosters in the league — led by a player who does it all, night in and night out. While debates rage on about Clark, Reese and Bueckers, Collier is stacking wins and stats that should have her at the top of the MVP shortlist. It’s not just her numbers — it’s her impact. When Collier is on the court, the Lynx look like a machine. She stretches defenses, protects the rim and plays with the type of poise you expect from a Finals MVP — not just a regular season standout. The Lynx as a team currently rank first in both offensive and defensive efficiency. And she’s doing this while mentoring younger players and shouldering the leadership role for one of the most balanced teams in the league. If you asked her, she’d probably credit her teammates first. But there’s no denying what’s happening here. This is her team. And right now, this league might be hers too. So why isn’t Collier getting more love? It’s the same old story: media market, rookie hype and headline-chasing. That’s not a knock on any of the young stars dominating the WNBA narrative this season — they’re earning every bit of that attention. But it’s also time to look past the marketing and recognize what we’re witnessing on the court. This is what greatness looks like. And if Collier were playing in a bigger market or had the benefit of a viral campaign, we’d be talking about her as a lock for MVP. Instead, she’s just quietly dominating everyone — and letting her play do the talking. In a season defined by flash, Collier is all substance. And if the WNBA season ended today, there’s a real case that she’d be the most deserving name on the MVP trophy – her first ever. So here’s the real question fans should be asking: Is Collier the best player in the WNBA right now? Maybe the better question is: How could she not be?
While the Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders have garnered a lot of attention lately, there is one NFC team that has quietly been flying under the radar. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost a one-score game to the Lions in the divisional round in 2023 and followed that up with another one-score loss to QB Jayden Daniels and the Commanders last season, proving how close they have been to the ultimate prize in the two seasons with Baker Mayfield under center. In an appearance on ESPN's "Get Up" Tuesday morning, analyst and former player Ryan Clark offered high praise for Mayfield and what the Buccaneers are capable of. "Baker Mayfield is a top-10 quarterback in this league," Clark said. "Baker Mayfield is a football player. And when I say that, I know people at home are gonna be like, 'Duh, he gets paid to play football.' No, not all quarterbacks are seen as football players. Not all quarterbacks are embraced in the locker room as one of us." Clark sees the Buccaneers as a team the rest of the league should be paying attention to because of who they have returning and the close calls in the playoffs the last two seasons. "This is a team that's been on the cusp the last two years," Clark said. "Now you think about some of the pieces they've added, the confidence in their quarterback and the way that he plays, and Todd Bowles with another year to understand winning at a high level at the head coach position. This is a team you better be extremely scared of because they're stacked and they're confident." Mayfield has been sensational during his time with the Buccaneers. Although he did throw 16 interceptions, Mayfield accounted for the third-most passing yards (4,500) in the league last season and has thrown the most TD passes (69) in the last two seasons, per StatMuse. To add even more incentive for Mayfield, the team restructured his contract, which is set to expire after the 2026 season, to include $30M in guaranteed salary for that season. The Buccaneers return a lot of production on both sides of the ball, in addition to bringing in first-round draft pick Emeka Egbuka, who topped 1,000 receiving yards twice at Ohio State and accounted for 26 total TDs. While Tampa Bay allowed the 17th-most points per game (22.7) last season, it returns the majority of its defensive production. On top of that, the offseason acquisition of veteran LB and two-time Pro-Bowler Haason Reddick, who agreed to terms on a one-year deal, should be a welcomed addition for a franchise that had some question marks on defense last season. The Buccaneers are projected to have the sixth-easiest schedule in the NFL this season and have the best chance to win the NFC South for the fifth consecutive season, according to ESPN Analytics. If Mayfield can cut back on his turnovers and the defense can create more pressure on opposing QBs, the Buccaneers could be a threat in the NFC once again as they look to put their recent nail-biting losses in the postseason behind them.
The World Junior Summer Showcase is in full swing, and Maple Leafs top prospect Ben Danford is shattering expectations, truly proving how good of a player he can be. The Toronto Maple Leafs' defensive prospect, Ben Danford, is among the 44 players who were invited to Hockey Canada's World Juniors Summer Showcase. Hockey Canada finally unveiled the 44 prospects who will head to Minnesota for the showcase, after they held the roster release back while the organization dealt with several injuries, which begins Sunday and runs through August 2 in Minneapolis. Defensive prospect Ben Danford is the only Maple Leafs player invited to the annual showcase, where Canada's World Junior staff will get their first look at what their team might look like for the 2026 World Juniors, which will also take place in Minnesota in December. Danford is being called the best player at the World Juniors Summer Showcase Danford has been exceeding expectations, and one source revealed that he has been the best player at the World Junior Showcase so far. The source said Danford is steady, smart, and hard to ignore on the ice. 'Ben Danford has been the best player at the World Junior Showcase he's steady, smart, and impossible to ignore. Makes every shift count, whether he's breaking up plays or starting the rush. Canada's blue line is in good hands.' - An unnamed source The Maple Leafs selected Danford with their first pick (31st overall) at the 2024 NHL Draft. During his visit to Toronto's development camp earlier this month, the defender revealed that he's receiving mentorship from current Leafs defensemen as well as some alumni like Mark Giordano. The 6-foot-2 Danford could make for an excellent fit for Canada should he make the team. He is responsible in his own end, and he demonstrated leadership capabilities when he was named captain of the Oshawa Generals ahead of the 2024-25 OHL season.
Shortly after the Cleveland Browns traded up in the fifth round of the 2025 draft to take Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders with pick No. 144, multiple members of the NFL community strongly suggested that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam essentially forced Sanders on general manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski. The fact that Sanders is clearly Cleveland's fourth-choice option at the position behind fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, veteran Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett during training camp has done little to quiet such chatter. While speaking with reporters on Tuesday afternoon, Haslam insisted that Berry was responsible for the drafting of Sanders. Haslam added that Stefanski will ultimately decide which quarterback starts Cleveland's regular-season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7. For an article published on April 28, Browns insider Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland/The Land on Demand wrote that the club's desire for "attention" was "one of the reasons [the Browns] drafted Sanders after previously selecting quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the third round for football reasons." Some thought in the spring that the Browns could be selected for the 2025 edition of the "Hard Knocks: Training Camp" show, but that assignment instead went to the Buffalo Bills. Pickett is spending the final days of July recovering from the worrisome hamstring injury he picked up this past Saturday. Sanders should receive additional valuable reps during training camp practices with Pickett sidelined, but Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated was sure to say on Monday that the former Colorado star "isn’t going to start" Cleveland's Week 1 game against Cincinnati. If Pickett can't participate in Cleveland's joint practice with the Carolina Panthers on Aug. 6, Flacco almost certainly will end that day as the favorite to get the nod for the matchup versus the Bengals. Interestingly, Haslam indicated on Tuesday that he wants both Gabriel and Sanders to take snaps in meaningful games against live defenses before the Browns have to determine what they will do with their pair of 2026 first-round draft picks. Berry said ahead of the final weekend of July that he's willing to stash Flacco, Pickett, Gabriel and Sanders on the active roster for Week 1. It sounds like Haslam would have nothing to do with such a decision, regardless of what certain fans and analysts want to believe about how Berry and Stefanski view Sanders this summer.