Sophie Cunningham has become an internet sensation after defending Caitlin Clark in a recent Indiana Fever game and receiving a WNBA fine
Sophie Cunningham previously shared why she is single(Image: ©Icon Sportswire (A Division of XML Team Solutions) All Rights Reserved)
Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham, has been making waves this week after defending her teammate Caitlin Clark from a rough foul during a game against the Connecticut Sun.
Cunningham’s flagrant foul on Sun guard Jacy Sheldon (and the ensuing scuffle) with just 46 seconds remaining in Tuesday’s match resulted in a league fine. However, the financial hit was easily offset by a surge in social media engagement, as Cunningham gained over 700,000 followers on TikTok in just one week.
Cunningham’s jersey also flew off the shelves at the Indiana team store on Wednesday, indicating that fans were eager to show their support for the player who has been dubbed Clark’s “enforcer” on Instagram and whose popularity has soared. It comes after the WNBA was urged to change its rules.
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The Fever brought Cunningham onboard this offseason in a four-team trade with the Phoenix Mercury, aiming to bolster their bench strength. She soon participated in an Instagram Q&A to engage with her new fan base.
During the session, the 28 year old was inevitably asked about her relationship status: why are you single?
“I’ve received this question A LOT,” she confessed. Rather than giving a direct answer, Cunningham chose to share a video of herself awkwardly sipping a drink at the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game.
“I think [I’m single] cause I’m a rat and an embarrassment to society. Also, this was all ice [in the video] and doesn’t do my skills any justice. But back to being not married, it’ll happen before I die CAUSE WON’T HE DO IT.”
Cunningham, a second-round pick by the Mercury out of Missouri in 2019, had her career-best average of 12.6 points per game while playing alongside stars like Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner.
Cunningham is now teammates with Caitlin Clark(Image: Getty Images)
In seven games off the bench in 2025, Cunningham is averaging 6.4 points in 22.6 minutes. A right-ankle injury on May 30 sidelined her for two weeks.
The Fever are currently at a 6-6 standing following an 88-77 loss to the Golden State Valkyries on Thursday. “Overall, it’s not about Caitlin [Clark] specifically. I thought it was about our entire group. We were soft,” star player Kelsey Mitchell commented on the performance.
“They made us pay by being stronger, being tougher. 50/50 balls, deflections, getting in the passing lanes. That’s just a piece of being aggressive, and having an ability to look at our best player and be like ‘Nah, they gonna be aggressive.'”.