Jun 7, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Injured Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) and guard Caitlin Clark (22) react from the bench during the first half of a WNBA game against the Chicago Sky at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Sophie Cunningham's Caitlin Clark Fever Team Control Admission Turns Heads

Originally posted on Indiana Fever on SI | By Grant Young | Last updated Oct 14, 2025 5:44 PM ET

There's no question that Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark holds a lot of power within the WNBA.

A great example of this was the viral video of Clark being made vulnerable to fans when she was in a public airport ahead of a commercial flight during her rookie 2024 campaign. This video caused a public outcry and seemed to be a key factor in the WNBA league office's decision to charter flights for each team.

A more recent example of Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier making sure to cite Caitlin Clark by name during her now notorious criticism of WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert in September, claiming that Engelbert had told her earlier in the year, "'Caitlin should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court, because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn't make anything.'"

Sophie Cunningham Makes Caitlin Clark Fever Team Control Admission

While none of this necessarily comes as a surprise, given that Clark's stardom is unprecedented within the world of women's basketball, most would assume Clark's power doesn't factor into the Indiana Fever's team decisions.

However, this doesn't seem to be the case, given what Clark's teammate and close friend Sophie Cunningham had to say during an October 14 episode of her Show Me Something podcast. Cunningham's co-host, West Wilson, asserted that if a team has a generational type talent like Clark or LeBron James, that team is going to be above-average regardless of the other players on the roster.

Cunningham responded by saying, "Yes. But I think the reason behind that is because those types of athletes, they get to come into an organization, they have the green light and they can do whatever they want; where that is very rare to be able to get drafted and control the whole system."

"Was CC making [Fever] decisions?" Wilson asked.

"Yeah," Cunningham replied with a look on her face that suggested this was obvious. "As she should!"

Wilson then noted that he didn't realize it was like that, if only because Clark was so young.

"But when you have a generational talent like that, she should have a lot to say [about] the system," Cunningham added.

This is a very interesting admission from Cunningham, and it will be fascinating to see whether these comments pick up steam or incite other opinions from those who don't believe Clark deserves this sort of power within her franchise.

This article first appeared on Indiana Fever on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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