All the ingredients required for great game, one requisite of WNBA Rivals Week, came together in the showdown between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky.
Six ties. Four lead changes. Three technical fouls. Two Midwest franchises. One ejection. And an eventual four-point win, 90-86, for Indiana.
The first quarter was ultra tight before one moment became the focal point. DiJonai Carrington was assessed a flagrant 2 and subsequently ejected after hitting Sophie Cunningham as she was going up for a layup in transition.
Immediately, Cunningham got into Carrington's face as both had to be separated. Carrington was not only ejected from the game, but found herself in the crosshairs of a political firestorm in light of Cunningham's recent remarks supporting the banning of transgender athletes in women's sports.
Before the game, conservative groups supporting bans on transgender athletes rallied outside in support of Cunningham. Inside the United Center, fans on each side of the divide showed up passionately to either cheer or boo for Cunningham.
On social media, some interpreted Carrington's play as a physical attack on Cunningham for her beliefs, while Carrington, soon after her ejection, posted "WHITE PRIVILEGE" on Threads and tagged the Fever, an implication of officiating as bias, as Cunningham was not assessed any penalty for getting in the face of and attempting to punch Carrington.
All of that set the tone for the intensity that followed.
The first quarter ended with the Sky leading 23-22. In the second quarter, the pace remained fierce with neither side relinquishing control. But the Fever began to establish separation by going on a 25-9 run and outscoring the Sky 31-19 in the second quarter to lead 53-42 at the half.
When the second half started, things were still working in the Fever's favor, as they extended their lead to as many as 16 points. But then the Sky came roaring back with a 10-2 run.
Near the close of the third quarter, Caitlin Clark was called for a technical foul, her eighth of the season, after making contact with an official. Shortly thereafter, Fever head coach Stephanie White was assessed a technical foul herself. Clark's technical foul was later rescinded after review and she won't be assessed one-game suspension, the penalty for a player who has accumulated eight technicals.
Rachel Banham made the technical free throws, allowing the Sky to conclude the third trailing 71-62.
Chicago began the fourth quarter on an 8-0 run, keeping momentum on their side as they eventually were down just three points, 73-70. A pair of triples by Banham and Jacy Sheldon made a difference. Natasha Cloud played with her usual fierceness as she took command of the offense with force. Her intensity did get the better of her, however, when she was rendered a technical after chirping at a referee.
The Fever, led by another historic performance from Kelsey Mitchell, began to surge back and seemingly seize control with a 85-75 lead before the Sky responded with a 14-4 run as the game ticked under a minute to go.
Sheldon then hit a big 3-pointer with 28 seconds left to bring the Sky within three, 89-86.
With 18 seconds left, Clark sank one of two free throws to give the Fever a 90-86 lead. Then, Kamilla Cardoso missed two free throws that sealed the Sky's fate and handed the Fever the win.
Cloud and Banham each had 17 points, the highest point total for Banham this year. She was 3-for-8 from the 3-point line, and discussed the importance of 3-point shooting after the game:
3s always help. I thought we got some really good looks, like, Jace did a really big one. When we got good movement, we got good looks, and I thought we could have made even more. Obviously Kelsey and Caitlin are such great shooters, so they're tough to guard at the 3-point line as well, so…
3s are kind of what the game's about now. That's where you're getting a lot of those points, and where teams separate themselves, so that's something that we, we want to be great at.
Also speaking postgame, head coach Tyler Marsh made sure to credit Cloud for sparking the team's comeback, emphasizing:
We needed that from her. We needed that juice and that boost from her, but that's… that's who she's been for us all year, and… doesn't matter the role, she came off the bench early on for us, and was put back in the starting lineup. And has made the most of it, so it's what we've grown to expect from our team.
Cardoso finished with 14 points and nine rebounds. Sheldon came away with nine points and two 3-pointers. Before her ejection, Carrington scored a quick eight points off the bench. Courtney Vandersloot dished out six assists.
On the Indiana side, Mitchell led all scorers with 27 points, setting a single-season record of 16-straight games of at least 20 points.
Clark added 26 points and 11 assists, with Aliyah Boston scoring 13 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.
