The Sunday matchup between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky was one of the most memorable games of the WNBA’s 2026 season. A night filled with Enes Kanter drama saw Caitlin Clark erupt for a game-high 37 points in what seemed like a revenge game against DiJonai Carrington after their previous matchup.

Given the physical confrontation between Sophie Cunningham and Carrington in the Fever-Sky last matchup, and the turn it took, the tensions were already high at Wintrust Arena on Sunday. Kanter, who had announced that he was planning to attend the game, upped the heat in the building, and the result was a pure mixture of drama and thriller.

So let’s take a look at two of the biggest stories from the game one by one.

Caitlin Clark’s 37-point explosion forces DiJonai Carrington and Sky’s exit from the playoffs

Clark and the Fever’s rivalry against the Sky and Carrington, who joined the team just this year, intensified after the last game. In the last game, DiJonai Carrington barely lasted the first quarter, after she was ejected following a flagrant foul 2 on Clark’s teammate Sophie Cunningham.

Carrington swiped her hand across Cunningham’s face, bringing her down while attempting to stop the Fever guard’s layup. The hard contact immediately resulted in an explosive exchange. So, following her ejection, Carrington posted the date of their second game on social media in anticipation of the rematch.

Yet on the day of that rematch on Sunday, Carrington couldn’t help her team win in the face of another Clark-Mitchell masterclass. The Fever star played one of her most impactful games this season and destroyed every defense Tyler Marsh threw at her.

Carrington was Clark’s primary defender, but failed to stop the Indiana Fever star. She shot 13-of-24 from the field, including 8-of-12 from the 3-point line. The 2024 Rookie of the Year also recorded 10 assists and 3 rebounds in just 32 minutes.

It was a high-octane physical battle between two players, but Clark got the better of Carrington, landing one 3-pointer after another. In fact, Clark reached a career-high in 3-pointers made, scoring 8-of-12.

However, Carrington didn’t just let it slide without a fight as she didn’t shy away from making contact with Clark to stop the Fever’s engine. The pair were seen chirping at each other after Carrington was called for a foul.

The final game between Eastern Conference contenders ended with Indiana sweeping their three-game matchup this season. The 113-90 loss also ended the Sky’s any hope for the postseason, marking their third consecutive year without a playoff appearance.

The final battle was even for most of the game. However, the visitors took a big lead in the last minutes of the third quarter, right when Enes Kanter drama took center stage.

The Enes Kanter-Natasha Cloud drama at Wintrust Arena

Kanter had announced on Friday that he intended to attend the Sky vs. Fever game and was ensuring his security before making the decision. He sure arrived and wore a black T-shirt with the text that read, “WOMAN. Noun. Adult human female.”

With just over a minute remaining in the third quarter, Natasha Cloud made a shot, and the next second, she was seen yelling at the former NBA player, who sat a few rows behind the baseline. Kanter got up from his seat and started walking towards the WNBA star with his hands in the air.

When Kanter eventually stepped onto the court, he was stopped by security guards and escorted out of the arena. On his way out, he was seen hyping up his supporters in the arena.

“I just got kicked out of a WNBA game for supporting WOMEN! Let that sink in, AMERICA,” he later wrote on X.

In an interview with Outkick, Kanter later claimed that he had previously celebrated a 3-point shot from Cunningham. He claimed that during their confrontation, Cloud told him that Cunningham “was not gonna sleep with you.”

The Sky team and several athletes later came in support of Cloud, and some even slammed Kanter for his antics. Sky HC Marsh told the media that anyone who came to watch the WNBA should only enjoy basketball. Marsh also had high praise for his player during the post-game conference.

“I told her that we all embrace her as someone who protects our team and protects people who need to be protected. So, Tash is always going to stand on that, and we stand for Tash.”

NBA stars like Kyle Kuzma and Mikal Bridges also had nothing good to say about Enes Canter Freedom.

“Look at the drama queen….. no not Natasha. Grown man stepping over the baseline at a woman,” Kuzma wrote on X.

“He’s a straight loser,” Bridges also wrote.

So how did the Enes Kanter Freedom drama get this intense?

The Enes Kanter vs. WNBA drama started on August 7, over two weeks after Sophie Cunningham’s opposing trans athletes competing in women’s sports in a July 21 ESPN Profile by Hallie Grossman. As the debate continued to gain momentum on social media, Enes Kanter Freedom voiced his support for Cunningham in a unique and now viral video.

“After careful consideration and reviewing the current eligibility guidelines, I’m officially declaring myself a @WNBA prospect… If simply declaring who you are is all that’s required, then I meet every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA.”

While Freedom wasn’t the only one, former NBA player Royce White also announced his intention and later followed up with his own declaration; the former Boston Celtics player has constantly pursued his cause.

Following his declaration, the WNBA denounced those making declarations for the 2027 draft in what they called “bad faith” arguments on August 12.

However, not only did Freedom not back down; he explained that he had spoken to multiple male G League players who said they would declare their eligibility if the WNBA didn’t clearly define its eligibility criteria.

According to Kanter, the WNBA hadn’t specified what it meant by “women” in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Later, he sent a letter to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, expressing his intention to enter the draft and clarifying his age and eligibility.

He followed that up by directly praising Sophie Cunningham for taking a stand for women while appearing on Fox Sports’ My View With Lara Trump last Friday.

“I think she’s inspiring not only the players in the WNBA, but girls from all over the world, not only in America, because I get so many messages, and they’re saying that from all over the world — ‘Hey, if you ever see Sophie, can you please say hi to her?'”

However, Natasha Cloud’s reaction is a reflection of several WNBA players who are on the other side of the argument. The latest episode has put the focus once again away from basketball, and perhaps the league’s leadership has to come forward.