The Indiana Fever are heading to the Commissioners Cup final, but their dominant 88-71 triumph over the Connecticut Sun will be remembered just as much for its bruising drama as for the scoreboard. Caitlin Clark, the Fever’s superstar rookie, was once again at the heart of the action — on the stat sheet and in the thick of multiple on-court altercations that left fans gasping and officials scrambling.

In a game where tensions boiled over repeatedly, it was the third quarter that saw chaos erupt. The Sun’s guard Jacy Sheldon jabbed the college basketball phenom Clark in the eye while closely defending her, triggering a sequence that looked more like an ice hockey brawl than a WNBA clash. The Iowa legend pushed Sheldon away, only to be shoulder-barged forcefully to the floor by Connecticut’s Marina Mabrey. Officials quickly handed out a flurry of technicals, flagrant fouls and warnings, but the fire had already been lit.

According to the Fever’s head coach, Stephanie White, the collision course was inevitable: “I started warning the refs in the first quarter — you could see where this was heading. Everyone in the league is improving except the officiating. They must catch up.”

And throughout the scuffling, the Fever never lost their cool on the scoreboard. Behind Clark’s steady shooting — she finished with 20 points and six assists — and a solid contribution from teammates Kelsey Mitchell and Natasha Howard, the Indiana squad pulled away easily in the second half.. At one point, Clark sealed the game with a dagger three-pointer and some pointed words for the Sun’s bench, delighting the roaring home crowd.

But that wasn’t the end of the fireworks. With 46 remaining, Fever forward Sophie Cunningham delivered a crushing foul on Sheldon during a fast break, starting off a full-team shoving match along the baseline that sucked in players, coaches and security. The referees ejected Cunningham, Sheldon, and the Sun’s Lindsay Allen as the simmering rivalry spilled into open chaos.

The Sun’s camp did not hide their frustration either. Their coach Rachid Meziane slammed the foul as “stupid and disrespectful”, pointing out the Fever were already cruising with a 17-point cushion. Connecticut’s center Olivia Nelson-Ododa echoed the sentiment, blaming poor officiating for losing control of an already physical contest.

Clark herself, displaying the composure that’s fast becoming her trademark, dodged the controversy at the post-game press conference. “You guys came for basketball — let’s talk basketball,” the face of the Fever said with a grin, sidestepping any drama talk and turning focus back to the historic final on July 1st.

Next up, the Indiana squad will lock horns with the Minnesota Lynx in the Commissioners Cup final, with a trophy and a sizeable prize pool at stake. For Clark and the Fever, it’s more than just another game — it’s proof that Indiana basketball is roaring back onto the big stage, swagger and all.