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Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham got the second ejection of her career after getting involved in a fight with the Connecticut Sun’s Jacy Sheldon during their June 17 match, leading to the veteran guard getting ejected from the game. Soon, Cunningham subtly revealed the motive behind the confrontation: to defend her teammate, Caitlin Clark, who also got into a heated brawl with Sheldon early in the game.
The Fever-Sun clash became full of buzz when Sheldon poked Clark in the eye during the third quarter, in which shovings followed. Things escalated when Marina Mabrey blindsided the superstar guard. All players involved, including Tina Charles, got heavy fouls but no ejections.
However, the decision enraged Indiana’s roster and many fans, believing that Clark got deliberately hurt and that Connecticut’s roster should’ve had heavier penalties. Sophie Cunningham wouldn’t let this slide, and despite the Fever’s huge lead with seconds left in the game, she brutally stopped Sheldon from making a fastbreak.
After the Fever’s Sunday team practice, Cunningham made her feelings clear about paying back her teammate through physicality.
“I’m just gonna be me. I don’t go in there trying to predetermine anything. I’m dialed in. I need to focus on hitting my shots, making sure I’m executing the schemes right. I’m not focused on extracurricular activities,” Cunningham said [9:20]. “You know what? During that, it was just part of the game. I think the refs had a lot to do with that.”
“It was a buildup for a couple of years now of them just not protecting the star player of the WNBA. And so at the end of the day, I’m gonna protect my teammates. That’s what I do. And I’m a team player.”
The incident involving Clark was just part of the ongoing complaints by fans and teammates like Sophie Cunningham on the opponents’ alleged tough targeting of the Fever superstar.
Sophie Cunningham obtained massive following after ejection
While Sophie Cunningham ‘s ejection garnered controversy, many fans saw her actions as a fierce defense of her teammate, Caitlin Clark. In turn, the former Phoenix Mercury garnered tons of fans, seeing a massive boost in her social media followers after the game against Connecticut.
In reference, Sophie Cunningham’s TikTok account has now surpassed 1 million followers, a vast increase from having ~300k followers before the incident. Cunningham’s Instagram account also gained an additional 300k followers.
Regardless of the followers’ surge, it’s undeniable that Sophie Cunningham and Clark have been close friends since the former arrived in Indiana. The recent confrontation just highlighted their bond with more fans.
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