Sophie Cunningham Calls Out WNBA Over Treatment of Caitlin Clark

There’s no question that Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark is one of the faces of the WNBA. But since entering the league out of Iowa, the attention she’s drawn has clearly made her a target among many of the league’s established players.

That spotlight has seemingly brought added intensity and competitiveness her way. And while Clark has been sidelined for much of the year due to a series of injuries, this week her teammate Sophie Cunningham—who signed with the Fever this offseason—spoke out, saying the WNBA’s treatment of Clark has gone too far.

“You’ve seen players in our league try to toughen up Caitlin… even when I wasn’t on her team,” Cunningham said. “I know the talks Phoenix had in the locker room—like, ‘We’re gonna show her what the WNBA really is.’ I get it to a certain extent. That’s how you treat any rookie coming into the league. But it’s just more with her.

"This is her second year, and now being on her team and seeing it up close—like, what are people doing? It’s just too much. Too much.”