Sophie Cunningham Sends Message to Paige Bueckers Before Team USA Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Angelo Guinhawa | Last updated Mar 11, 2026 9:01 AM ET

While Caitlin Clark will be playing her first game in eight months on Wednesday, she's not the only player that Indiana Fever teammate Sophie Cunningham will be cheering for when Team USA starts its FIBA Women's World Cup Qualifying Tournament run.

USA Basketball picked Clark to be part of the roster, alongside several other young WNBA talents such as Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers — both of whom are considered rivals of the Fever star.

The World Cup qualifiers are set in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Team USA's first game is against Senegal on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Cunningham showed support for another Team USA player aside from Clark.

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) reacts during a game.Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Bueckers, who averaged 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.6 steals in her rookie season in 2025, posted on Instagram to express her gratitude for being part of the group. She also shared several photos of herself in Team USA jersey, as well as other snaps of the squad while training.

"4ever grateful to be back with @usabasketball," Bueckers wrote in the caption of her post.

Cunningham, for her part, commented on the post and shared her admiration for the Dallas Wings guard. She also gave Bueckers an encouraging message.

"Red white and blue looks good on youuuuu," Cunningham wrote, along with several fire emojis. "Go kill it."