Sophie Cunningham, a key guard for the Indiana Fever, recently found herself at the center of both controversy and acclaim. She fiercely defended star teammate Caitlin Clark during a heated on-court altercation against the Connecticut Sun.
Cunningham took exception to what she perceived as repeated failures by officials to protect Clark, delivering a bold message about her role: “I’m a team player.”
What Sparked the Scuffle
During the Fever’s game against the Sun, a confrontational series of fouls targeted Clark. Veteran guard Jacy Sheldon poked Clark in the eye, precipitating a push-and-shove incident.
During the on-court chaos, Florida Sun guard Marina Mabrey aggressively knocked Clark to the floor. Mabrey and Clark only received technical fouls at first, and Sheldon’s poke was deemed a flagrant 1.
In the final minute, Cunningham intervened, grabbing Sheldon by the head.
Sheldon and guard Lindsay Allen responded by charging Cunningham, who, in turn, grabbed Sheldon’s hair. Cunningham was promptly ejected for a flagrant 2 foul and subsequently fined by the WNBA.
Refs Under Scrutiny
“I think the refs had a lot to do with that…They’ve been not protecting the star player of the WNBA,” Cunningham told reporters.
“At the end of the day, I’m going to protect my teammates.”
