A lot has been said about Marina Mabrey’s overly aggressive attitude in her altercation with Caitlin Clark during the Indiana Fever-Connecticut Sun game. But just one game later, fans witnessed a completely different side of the Sun guard. Facing off against rookie superstar Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings, Mabrey surprised everyone with a wholesome gesture towards Bueckers. A moment that quickly caught attention and showed a softer, more respectful side of her game.
With just over 3 minutes to go in the second quarter, Paige Bueckers experienced her true “Welcome to the WNBA” moment. After hitting a bucket to give the Wings a two-point lead, she was seen clapping back at the ref for calling an earlier foul. The result? First technical of Bueckers’ career! “I clapped twice and said ‘and-one,’” Paige said in the post-game conference. “He said I clapped in his face. That’s all.”
Players were quite shocked to see all of that unfold. Paige had quite clearly done nothing to deserve a technical. Mabrey and Sheldon, in particular, were quite shocked. Remember, both got called for flagrant fouls in their last game against the Fever.
ijbol paige really had rivals taking her side against the referee…she is iconic. pic.twitter.com/DtzuHvr3R9
— jo (@thearkvi) June 21, 2025
Sheldon and Mabrey approached Bueckers to find out about the actual incident. They were curious about what she had actually said to the referee to earn the call. Once Bueckers explained, the mood lightened! Everyone shared a laugh before shifting their focus back to the game. But as fate would have it, a moment of concern followed soon after!
Mabrey was involved in an incident with Paige. She twisted her knee and limped back to the locker room with the help of the coaching staff. The Connecticut guard did return to the court in the second half. But her presence wasn’t enough to help the Sun win. The Sun are now the worst team in the league with a 2-11 record.
As things stand, Mabrey just can’t seem to stay out of the spotlight. Her altercation with Caitlin Clark and the subsequent referee decision is still the talk of the town. And just when things seemed to cool off, her heartwarming exchange with Paige Bueckers added more fuel to the fire. The fans have given their take on if she deserved to get ejected.
Did Marina Mabrey really cross the line? The moment with Paige Bueckers has everyone talking
Marina Mabrey’s shove on Caitlin Clark can be viewed in two different ways. Some see it as her defending a teammate after Clark’s shove on Jacy Sheldon. Others argue that Mabrey went too far, with a reaction that crossed the line. It was more on the aggressive side than the protective side.
May 19, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) and guard DiJonai Carrington (21) run back up the court during the second half against the Seattle Storm at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
To settle this debate once and for all. The She Got Game newsletter conducted a poll to ask if Mabrey really deserved to get ejected. The results are now out. And the results? Well, they are pretty obvious! 90% of the voters thought she deserved to get ejected for her shove to Clark.
It’s obvious that the Marina Mabrey–Caitlin Clark drama isn’t going away anytime soon. The shove has ignited conversations far beyond just that one moment, with some fans now pushing the narrative that Mabrey outright hates Clark. And that is where the problem begins! To label it as “hatred” or “bias” feels like a reach. At the end of the day, Mabrey is a competitor. Like any elite athlete can lose her cool in the heat of the moment at times. It happens. Her moment with Bueckers proves that she is not here to hate on anyone.
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