Sophie Cunningham wants everyone to know something crystal clear: she is absolutely not the Indiana Fever’s enforcer. “I am not the enforcer,” Cunningham told ESPN’s Hallie Grossman. “I am not a bodyguard. I am just going to do whatever the team needs. And if my teammates need me to stick up for them, I will do that.” Sounds fair, right? But then you hear what Caitlin Clark had to say about it, and you’re left wondering if Cunningham is just playing coy.
Clark’s “About Time” Moment Speaks Volumes
You remember last season, right? That dust-up with the Connecticut Sun. Jacy Sheldon accidentally poked Clark in the eye during the third quarter, and Cunningham was right there in the thick of an altercation. It was intense! So, when Cunningham tried to downplay her role, Grossman asked Clark what she thought. And Clark’s response, according to Cunningham, was just two words: “About time.” Boom! That tells you everything you need to know about how the team, and their biggest star, views Cunningham’s willingness to step up.
Cunningham insists she’d stick up for any teammate, even “someone who barely gets in.” She claims, “It just happened to be Caitlin.” And yeah, maybe that’s true, but the perception is real. When your star player drops an “About time” after you’ve got their back, that’s not just a coincidence. That’s a reputation earned, whether she wants the label or not.
“You Gotta Have a Little S–t to You” And a Playoff Push
Despite coming off the bench in 22 of her 25 appearances this year, Cunningham isn’t sweating her reduced role compared to past seasons. She’s all about team-first, even if it means sacrificing some shots. “You have to be selfish a little bit, you need to shoot,” she told Grossman. “But you also have to sacrifice a lot, too. You have to make sure the people who need the ball have it. Do whatever the team needs and be a great teammate. That’s what I’ve always wanted to be. And that’s what the middle ground is really about.”
It’s that exact mindset, that willingness to do whatever the team needs, combined with her undeniable fire, that makes her so valuable. Cunningham isn’t shy about her reputation either. “You gotta have a little s–t to you,” she admitted. “People love me or they really frickin’ hate me. I just don’t care.” You gotta respect that brutal honesty! That kind of no-nonsense attitude is infectious, and it’s clearly helping the Fever. They’re sitting pretty at 16-10, pushing hard to clinch a third consecutive playoff berth. That fiery spirit and team-first sacrifice from players like Cunningham might just be the edge they need to get it done.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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