Sophie Cunningham buries WNBA refs over Caitlin Clark treatment

Sophie Cunningham has become the newest WNBA star thanks to her role as the enforcer for Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. Cunningham went right after the Connecticut Sun after a dirty foul on Clark last week, earning a massive following shortly thereafter.

While this game has become a launchpad for Cunningham's popularity, it has also become a source of controversy for how the officials treat the most popular player in the league. No player should be subject to the physical play that Clark has to endure. You would think with the face of the league the officials would be even more privy to this fact.

Cunningham spoke out about the hard foul on the Sun and didn't mince any words at all. The taekwondo black belt directly called out WNBA officials for not taking care of the situation, forcing her to take matters in her own hands.

"I think the refs had a lot to do with that. It was a build-up for a couple years now of them just not, not protecting the star player in the WNBA," Cunningham said. "And so at the end of the day, I’m going to protect my teammates, that’s what I do."

Sophie Cunningham outright calls out refs for Caitlin Clark treatment

It's pretty clear what Cunningham's intentions were when she went full enforcer mode against the Sun. However, it's one thing to see that happen and draw conclusions and to actually have a player admit to such a thing.

This is a problem that the WNBA needs to corral quickly. It's not even that Clark should get preferential treatment. She shouldn't. Clark should be getting the same calls as every other player in the WNBA.

However, this fear of potentially giving Clark preferential treatment has swung the pendulum the other way. The refs officiate Clark in a completely different way than any other player in the WNBA. It isn't fair to Clark and it isn't fair to the Fever.

Fans have noticed this since the moment Clark took a step in the WNBA. Now her teammates and coaches are starting to speak out, which highlights just how much this issue has snowballed in the short time Clark has been in the league.

Hopefully, Cunningham sent a message; not just with her words, but with her actions as well. By not protecting Clark as they should be (which should be the case for every WNBA player), WNBA officials are opening the door for even messier situations.

Cunningham isn't wrong for doing what she did. She isn't wrong for saying what she said. It's on the league to fix this problem before it continues to snowball.