VIDEO: Julie Vanloo Choked Sophie Cunningham During Nasty Scramble For Loose Ball During Sparks-Fever Game

Julie Vanloo and Sophie Cunningham (Photo via Twitter)
Cameras caught Los Angeles Sparks point guard Julie Vanloo choking Indiana Fever enforcer Sophie Cunningham during the first quarter of Saturday’s contest at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Sophie Cunningham made headlines on June 17 when she got into a skirmish with Jacy Sheldon in the fourth quarter of a contest between the Fever and Connecticut Sun. Unhappy with Sheldon fouling Caitlin Clark (she hit Indiana’s star guard in the eye), Cunningham retaliated by placing her opponent in a chokehold as she drove to the basket:

Vanloo, apparently, wanted to give Cunningham a taste of her own medicine during today’s showdown. As you can see in the video below, Vanloo briefly choked Cunningham as they scrambled for a loose ball.

But in a funny twist, Vanloo and Sophie Cunningham had a good laugh about it, a complete contrast to the physical altercation between Indiana and Connecticut last month:

Cunningham was fined $400 after being issued a Flagrant 2 foul in the brouhaha with Jacy Sheldon but avoided a suspension.

Sophie Cunningham Is Making An Impact In First Season With The Fever

Sophie Cunningham in uniformSophie Cunningham (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)
Acquired in a four-team trade back in January, Cunningham has made an impact for Indiana by asserting herself as the unofficial team enforcer. Everyone knows that opposing players have tried to frustrate Clark by getting physical on defense, but Cunningham clearly won’t stand for it.