Chicago Sky’s Diamond DeShields responds to toxic fan after hard foul on Caitlin Clark

The Chicago Sky have dedicated greater than their share of onerous fouls on Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, and Diamond DeShields obtained in on the motion Friday.

The seven-year WNBA veteran fouled Clark twice within the span of 40 seconds within the fourth quarter of the Fever’s 100-81 win, with the latter going viral on social media. As Clark ran with the ball in transition, DeShields barreled into the rookie and knocked her to the ground.

The play was dominated a flagrant 1 foul on DeShields, giving Clark two free throws. Clark made each to achieve a career-high 31 factors for the sport and in addition file the primary 30-point, 12-assist sport in WNBA historical past.

The sport additional strengthened Clark’s argument for Rookie of the Yr over the Sky’s Angel Reese, who set the WNBA’s rookie file for many double-doubles in a season in the identical sport.

Sadly, the backlash in opposition to DeShields for the foul reached poisonous ranges with no less than one fan. After the sport, DeShields posted a screengrab displaying an account repeatedly lamenting “that tumor ought to’ve took her out.” DeShields was identified with a grape-sized benign tumor on her spinal twine in 2020, risked paralysis when she had it surgically eliminated and suffered painful tremors whereas recovering from the process.

In response to the fan, DeShields wrote, “Thanks God for overlaying me , I pray u cowl those that want hurt unto me as properly.”

Unsurprisingly, that individual wasn’t the one individual in DeShields’ feedback after the sport.

Clearly, this is not the primary time the Sky have had a sport in opposition to Clark get ugly. Chennedy Carter was the middle of a firestorm earlier this season after hitting Clark with a shoulder verify. Just like the DeShields incident, that additionally noticed a major blowback, together with an incident when Sky gamers reported harassment exterior a crew lodge. A subsequent video confirmed that individual trying to ask Carter questions, however one Sky participant stated it was edited to take away him saying far more profane issues.

There was additionally a tough foul by Reese on Clark in one other sport. Clark’s rookie season has seen unprecedented consideration within the WNBA, however not all of it has been good, particularly when the Sky have been concerned.

Friday was the final regular-season matchup between the groups, although. The Fever went 3-1 within the season collection.