Fever and Sun Will Likely Face Tiny Fines After Wild Melee

Fines are coming for members of the Fever and Sun after their final fiery Commissioner’s Cup game of the season resulted in three players being ejected in the final seconds. 

The Fever’s 88–71 win over the Sun secured their place in the Commissioner’s Cup final on July 1 against the Minnesota Lynx, but not before Fever guard Sophie Cunningham and Sun guards Jacy Sheldon and Lindsay Allen were all ejected with 46 seconds to play. The ejections resulted from a play in which Cunningham wrapped Sheldon up as she went up for a layup in transition, sending her to the floor. When Sheldon stood up she beelined for Cunningham who proceeded to grab Sheldon by the back of the head as Allen attempted to intervene. 

But the tensions between both teams—which went unchecked by officials—began escalating earlier in the game. Notably midway through the third quarter, Sheldon was assessed a flagrant 1 foul after poking Fever guard Caitlin Clark in the eye. The two exchanged shoves before Sheldon’s teammate, Marina Mabrey came over and body checked Clark to the floor. Clark and Sun forward Tina Charles were both assessed technical fouls despite making no contact with each other. 

Mabrey was also assessed a technical foul, prompting questions about why she wasn’t ejected.  

The post game pool report provided some clarity from crew chief Ashley Gloss, who said, “The contact made by Mabrey did not rise to the level of an ejection. Additionally, [it] did not meet the criteria for a flagrant foul penalty two.” Gloss also clarified that Clark and Charles were assessed techs for unsportsmanlike conduct. 

Fever coach Stephanie White and Sun coach Rachid Meziane both lamented the officiating in their respective postgame press conferences, but for different reasons. 

“It was pretty obvious that stuff was brewing,” White said. “When the officials don’t get control of the ball game, when they allow this stuff to happen—and it’s been happening all season long—this is what happens. Right? You’ve got competitive women who are the best in the world at what they do. When you allow them to play physical and allow these things to happen, they’re going to compete and they’re going to have their teammates’ backs.” 

Meziane took issue with Cunningham’s late-game foul on Sheldon. 

“I did not understand,” Meziane said. “When you are winning the game by 17 points and you are doing this, to me, stupid foul — this is just disrespectful. It’s just disrespectful to do that foul when you’re winning the game by 17 points. Completely stupid.”

White said she started talking to officials in the first quarter about the physicality that ultimately boiled over in the final minute. 

Now fines will likely come for all players involved and potentially White and Meziane for their comments about the officiating. 

“Everybody’s getting better except the officials,” White said.  

Technicals during the regular season start at $200 each for the first three and go up from there. For technical fouls four through seven, a player will pay $400 each. When a player gets to their eighth technical foul, they will pay $800 and receive a one-game suspension. Players will pay $800 plus a one-game suspension for each additional technical they are assessed after their eighth.

The league can impose fines for flagrant fouls at their discretion. According to a league source, the cost of a Flagrant 1 foul is $200 and $400 for a Flagrant 2. Additional fines can be assessed and disciplinary action can be taken when players escalate situations or fail to leave the court. Cunningham was assessed a Flagrant 2 before her ejection while Sheldon and Allen both received technicals.

By comparison the NBA fines players $2,000 for their first five technicals. A player’s next five technicals cost $3,000. Technical fouls 11-15 incur a $4,000 fine each. A one game suspension is assessed for the 16th technical along with a $5,000 fine. Each additional technical foul comes with a $5,000 fine. For every two additional techs (example: techs 18, 20, and 22) a player in the NBA is fined $5,000 plus a one game suspension.

The average NBA salary for the 2024-25 season was $11,910,649, according to Basketball Reference. The supermax salary in the WNBA this season is $249,244. 

In May, White was fined by the league for comments regarding officiating following the Fever’s 90–88 loss to the Liberty. The league never disclosed the cost of White’s fine, which is a common practice. On a recent episode of Richard Deitsch’s podcast, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve ripped the league’s lack of transparency over fines.

“I can think of at least 10 years ago we have been asking for [greater transparency] in our competition meetings,” Reeve said. “The teams have wanted it. The league has not for a variety of reasons. If you’re transparent about what the fines are and fining someone $500, you’re perpetuating the narrative players aren’t worth very much. We’re not paying them very much.” 

This story has been updated with correct information about NBA technical fines.