The WNBA handed down its verdict on Tuesday, fining Dallas Wings guard Odyssey Sims $10,000 for a violent, off-ball shove that sent Indiana Fever sensation Caitlin Clark crashing to the hardwood during Thursday night’s heated matchup. The league also issued a warning to Sims, citing a “reckless and unnecessary act” that escalated tensions in an already physical game.
The incident occurred late in the third quarter with the Fever were loosing by 5. As Clark set a screen near the top of the key, Sims—instead of navigating around the pick—lowered her shoulder and delivered a blindside forearm to Clark’s ribs, sending the rookie sprawling onto the baseline. No foul was called on the play, but a review by the league office deemed the hit flagrant and worthy of supplemental discipline.
“I have nothing to say. It’s basketball. It got chippy,” Sims told reporters after the game, before the fine was announced. But the footage told a different story. Replays showed Sims staring down Clark for a full second before initiating contact, a detail that drew the league’s ire and a swift punishment.
Clark, who finished the night with 24 points and 8 assists, brushed off the physicality in her postgame press conference. “It’s part of the game. I’m not here to complain. We got the win, that’s all that matters,” she said, though her teammates were less diplomatic. Fever head coach Christie Sides called the hit “dangerous and dirty,” adding, “We’re protecting our players. Period.”
The fine has ignited a firestorm online. Some fans argue Sims’ penalty is justified—citing the league’s new “Point of Emphasis” on protecting star players—while others claim Clark receives preferential treatment. Former WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes weighed in on X, saying, “Physicality is fine. Targeting a player away from the ball is not. $10K is a message, but the game needs policing on the floor too.”
Sims has until Friday to appeal the fine, but the league’s statement was unequivocal: “The contact was unnecessary and avoidable.” For Clark and the Fever, the win stands, but the message is clear—the gravy train of intimidation stops here.
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