Some people might not see Caitlin Clark as the face of the WNBA, but her teammate Sophie Cunningham has made it clear she's not one of them. "It literally pisses me off when people are like, 'She's not the face of the league.' What?" Cunningham said on her podcast "Show Me Something" Thurdsay, July 31.
Cunningham added that she is well aware that there are "well-known people in our league" and she means no disrespect, "But when people try to argue that she's not the face of our league or our league would be where we're at without her, you're dumb as s---."
Cunningham, who played for the Mercury before she signing with the Fever ahead of the 2025 season, also revealed that her former teammates had locker room conversations about Clark after she was drafted as the No. 1 overall pick in 2024. "I get it to a certain extent. Every rookie coming into the league, that's how you're going to treat them," she explained. "But there's just more for her. It's her second year. Now being on her team and seeing it, I'm like, 'What are people doing?' It's just too much."
Back in June Cunningham notably rose to Clark's defense toward the end of the Fever's June 17 game against the Sun. Jacy Sheldon poked Clark in the eye during the third quarter of the match and her teammate Marina Mabrey then pushed Clark to the floor, which resulted in technical fouls against the Sun players.
But Cunningham ratcheted things up in the final minute of the fourth, when she nearly tackled Sheldon as the latter attempted to make a basket. By the end of the scuffle, Cunningham, Sheldon, and Lindsay Allen were ejected — and the Fever won the game.
Since then, Cunningham has become something of a fan favorite at the team's home games, a role she's seemed more than happy to step into. The Fever have lacked an enforcer who has Clark's back, and Cunningham's willingness to (literally) lead the charge is one that the team's fans have made it clear they appreciate.
The Fever will next head to Dallas to face the Wings. Like many teams in the league, Indiana is facing a crucial part of the season if the team hopes to make a true playoffs push — and every single win will count. The Fever is fresh off a tight 107-101 win over the Mercury at home at Gainbridge Fieldhouse June 30th.