“She crossed the line, and we all saw it” — Julie Vanloo CHOKES Sophie Cunningham in brutal on-court CLASH that left the entire arena in SHOCK during Sparks-Fever showdown

Tensions boiled over in a Sparks-Fever game no one will soon forget. Cameras caught the exact moment Julie Vanloo, in a chaotic scramble for a loose ball, appeared to wrap her arm around Sophie Cunningham’s neck—leaving fans gasping and players frozen mid-motion. Was it a dirty play or a heat-of-the-moment accident? Either way, the response was immediate: benches stirred, whistles blew, and the crowd erupted. What punishment could follow? And what did Cunningham say after the buzzer?

See the viral footage and full breakdown of the incident right here.

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 (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.