Sophie Cunningham of the Indiana Fever at a game last month. Her on-court actions in defense of her teammate Caitlin Clark in June attracted national attention. Jamie Kelter Davis / The New York Times

On June 17, the Indiana Fever played the Connecticut Sun in a WNBA game filled with hard fouls and bad feelings. One Sun player shoved Fever star Caitlin Clark. Another, Jacy Sheldon, had poked her in the eye. The antics infuriated one of Clark’s teammates — the quick-tempered Sophie Cunningham, who said in later interviews that she felt that Clark, whose talent and fame were transforming the WNBA, wasn’t being properly protected by the referees.

She wanted to send a message.

So with less than a minute left in the game, when Sheldon stole the ball and went sprinting down the court, Cunnin

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