Sophie Cunningham‘s competitive, fierce, and combative spirit has been one of the highlights of her first year with the Indiana Fever, after six seasons with the Phoenix Mercury.
This, however, also earned her the support of fans, especially after she defended Caitlin Clark and risked a fine and ejection against the Connecticut Sun on June 17. Sophie discussed these altercations and locker room fights on her podcast.
Sophie breaks her silence on fights in the WNBA
During the victory against the Sun, CC was elbowed in the eye by Jacy Sheldon. In response, CC pushed her, and then Marina Mabrey pushed Clark to the ground. However, near the end of the game, Sophie did not forgive Sheldon and committed a hard foul on her, which led to an intense altercation and the ejection of both players.
After this incident, fans nicknamed her “The Enforcer.” However, Sophie confessed on her podcast “Show Me Something,” which she hosts with West Wilson, that these incidents are not common:
“Honestly, that never happens,” Cunningham said. “It barely even happens on the court. I think probably what I did this year is the most that’s been done in years. But yeah, that’s just not how we roll on our side,” she added.
The 29-year-old point guard then referred to the team’s dynamic and how they seek to avoid these types of situations in the locker room by making adjustments to their game: “Actually, this team was so good this year with Indiana that we would just talk it out. Everyone was very understanding. Everyone just wanted to do their best to grow,” Sophie said.
“Sometimes, part of being an elite-level athlete is you can’t always listen to the tone of people because everyone’s competing at such a high level that you just have to listen to the message. And so that’s on you to mature, to grow, to know that everyone’s in it for the same reason – you’re trying to win,” Cunningham explained.
Meanwhile, Sophie’s future with the Fever has yet to be confirmed, as she will become an unrestricted free agent after February 1. The only players who remain under contract for next year are Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Makayla Timpson.
Sophie finished her first year with the Indiana Fever averaging 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 30 games played before suffering a torn MCL in her right knee in August.
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