“I think the physicality is out of control. It’s not basketball, it’s rugby.” That’s what Becky Hammon said the other day. She’s not alone. From coaches to players, everyone’s been talking – or let’s say, warning – about how rough things have gotten this season. But contrasting enough, WNBA teams are still averaging 81.4 points per game. That’s barely a drop from the league’s all-time high of 83.1 in 2020. So no, the game hasn’t died, it’s just gotten grittier (maybe a bit too much, as many say). And if there’s one name that has somehow ended up at the center of every conversation about that physicality, it’s Caitlin Clark.
That Clark-Jacy Sheldon incident from the Fever vs. Sun game on June 17 is back in the headlines. And this time, it’s not just because of the shove , it’s because of Sue Bird and Tina Charles laughing about it on a podcast. So here’s a quick rewind if you somehow missed it. During the third quarter of that game, Clark tried to drive into the paint and ran into her old college rival Jacy Sheldon. It got real physical, real fast.
Sheldon ended up poking Clark in the eye. A foul was called, but just a regular one. Clark was not having it. She was fuming, and they started jawing at each other before it escalated and Marina Mabrey came barreling in out of nowhere and straight-up shoved Clark to the floor. Charles was actually right there when the jawing between Sheldon and Clark started. She stepped in trying to defuse it.
But during Sue Bird’s “Bird’s Eye View” podcast, things took a bit of a tone shift. Sue said she had sent Tina a bunch of pictures from that moment, including one where Tina had her hands up, all innocent like, “Hey, I didn’t do anything!” And they laughed. While Charles clarified that she didn’t punch Clark, she recalled “Everybody’s like, ‘Yo, you punched [Clark] in the back,’ and I’m like, ‘Nah.’ I was just like, ‘Yo, you got it… chill out. Watch yourself,” still chuckling. Both UConn standouts had a good laugh about the whole incident.
Hugely disappointed and lost all respect for both Sue Bird and Tina Charles. How is this ok? Caitlin, don’t play Olympics if Sue has anything to do with it. https://t.co/xKpEvD4Wxd
— CCFromTheLogo (@CaitlinLogo3) July 12, 2025
Now maybe they were just reminiscing and joking about the moment, but Fever fans aren’t finding it funny – at all. The clip went viral, and many folks are calling it out, saying it felt way too nonchalant given the situation. Because fans believe things could’ve gone bad.
Sue Bird slammed over Caitlin Clark clip
One fan went straight for the jugular, commenting, “Hugely disappointed and lost all respect for both Sue Bird and Tina Charles. How is this ok?” Now, to be fair, Sue Bird hasn’t exactly been anti-Clark. In fact, she’s been riding the Caitlin train long before the WNBA. She’s reposted Clark’s Nike billboard just this month on her Instagram story with love, and not to forget during March Madness, when Diana Taurasi picked Paige Bueckers as her No.1 pick, Sue Bird didn’t hesitate to say Caitlin first—even if she followed it up with a “they’re both good” disclaimer.
But even with all that support, this moment didn’t land. Then came the fan who said, “Bird’s whole career is attached to this dumpster fire of a league, she’s one of them forever.” This whole “Clark vs. the WNBA” narrative isn’t new. Even the Fever are embracing the villain arc now. “We are circled on everybody’s schedule. No one likes us,” Fever’s Sophie Cunningham, who got some Clark revenge in that game, admitted recently. To add to it, not to ignore the UConn pipeline storyline here and Bird is a Husky. A lot of folks believe UConn players get better treatment and have more pull in the WNBA.
Another person took it a step further, “Sue Bird should be removed from her Olympic role for this. Caitlin is a future Olympian and this is how she handles this? Unconscionable.” After winning five Olympic gold medals, Bird is now serving as USA Basketball’s first-ever managing director for the women’s national team. But now, fans are drawing the line. If Clark’s in the Olympic mix next, they’re saying Bird shouldn’t be anywhere near it if this is how she reacts to a dangerous on-court scuffle.
Then another fan chimed in, “Yeah… this is poor work by Bird…” As fans continue to criticize her, this also comes amid a huge stat difference between Bird and Clark is going viral. Even if Clark’s shots haven’t been falling lately, her playmaking has reached another planet. Through her first 50 WNBA games, she has more assists than any player in history over that span – nearly 100 more than Sue Bird herself managed. Bird still leads the all-time W tally with 3,234 assists, but at Clark’s current pace of 8.5 dimes per game, she’ll beat that in 382 career games. Bird needed 580.
Jun 22, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) during the during the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Las Vegas Aces at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images
And then there was the quieter but pointed take, “I’m sure they both care.” This fan wasn’t as harsh, but still made a case. Technically, they were laughing at Charles’ moment not directly at Clark being shoved. And Bird herself has openly said that the physicality right now isn’t something most players want. Meanwhile, most vets, Charles included, have repeatedly said the W has always had physicality. Charles claimed that it’s actually softer now.
But all in all, it is a big debate at this moment and being the ones who have lived and breathed this game for years, Sue Bird and Tina Charles comments/ action will forever be under scrutiny.
The post Sue Bird Slammed for Laughing at Caitlin Clark After Fever Star’s Ugly Altercation With Jacy Sheldon appeared first on EssentiallySports.