On her new podcast, the Indiana Fever guard speaks out against critics of Caitlin Clark, calling out league treatment, player jealousy, and the impact of Clark’s stardom on the WNBA.
In an unfiltered debut episode of her new podcast Show Me Something, Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham didn’t hold back when it came to defending her teammate Caitlin Clark. With co-host and Summer House star West Wilson by her side, the 28-year-old WNBA player boldly declared that anyone who denies Clark’s status as the face of the league is, in her words, “dumb as f—.”
“It literally pisses me off when people are like, ‘She’s not the face of the league,’” Cunningham said. “We have a lot of badasses in our league, and hell yeah, I’m all for that, but when people try to argue that she’s not the face of our league or that our league would be where we’re at without her, you’re dumb as shit. You’re literally dumb as f—.”
Cunningham, now in her first season with the Fever, has seen the Caitlin Clark effect up close—and believes the rookie is getting far more than just the usual hazing. Reflecting on her time with the Phoenix Mercury, Cunningham revealed that teams explicitly strategized to “welcome” Clark to the league with tough, even targeted play.
“Even when I wasn’t on her team, I know the talks that Phoenix had in the locker room, like, ‘No, we’re gonna show her what the W really is,’” she shared.
While acknowledging that every rookie faces an adjustment period, Cunningham insists that Clark’s treatment goes beyond normal initiation. “It’s her second year, and now being on her team and seeing it, I’m like, ‘What are people doing?’ It’s too much. If I’m saying it’s too much, then it’s probably too much.”
The comments come amid ongoing debate about the spotlight on Clark, the most hyped rookie the league has seen in years. Despite averaging strong numbers and leading the league in fan attention and jersey sales, Clark has faced intense scrutiny, physical play, and uneven praise from her peers. In July, a WNBA player-voted survey ranked her as only the ninth-best guard in the league—an outcome veteran sports commentator Dick Vitale attributed to “pure jealousy.”
“Some day they will realize what she has done for ALL of the players in the WNBA,” Vitale wrote.
Cunningham’s defense of Clark also followed post-All-Star Game controversy involving Sparks star Kelsey Plum, who publicly pointed out that none of Clark’s All-Star teammates attended a player-only meeting on fair pay initiatives. Fans were quick to label the comment divisive and unnecessary. “They’re already showing cracks in this ‘united front,’” one commenter noted.
As Clark continues to generate headlines—and fuel passionate discussions about equity, fame, and respect in women’s sports—Cunningham’s unwavering support may offer a much-needed rallying voice from within the league.
“She’s the face,” Cunningham said. “It’s that simple.”
