I hate the narrative that the Indiana Fever signed Sophie Cunningham to serve as an enforcer for Caitlin Clark. However, the reigning Rookie of the Year’s newest teammate vows to do exactly that.
She is going to stick up for her teammates the same way that she sticks up for herself!
Cunningham spent the first six seasons of her WNBA career with the Phoenix Mercury. The 28-year-old was traded to the Indiana Fever at the beginning of February in exchange for NaLyssa Smith and a draft pick as part of a four-team trade. It was a move that signals the organization’s desire to win right away.
Not only does Cunningham add a much-needed perimeter shooter to the lineup, the 6-foot-1 guard will provide a major boost on the defensive end. She averaged 8.4 points with 3.9 rebounds, and shot an impressive 37.8% from beyond the arc last season.
"A multi-dimensional wing capable of knocking down the three ball, locking down on defense and injecting passion and emotion into the game."
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) February 2, 2025
get a more in-depth look at what Sophie Cunningham adds to the team 🔥 pic.twitter.com/pG7vnzPyAR
Sophie Cunningham is also known for her fiery personality and tenacity. Rarely, if ever, does she back down from a challenge.
Sophie Cunningham was assessed a flagrant 1 for this hard foul on Bridget Carleton.
— ESPN (@espn) September 26, 2024
Courtney Williams was also assessed a technical foul. pic.twitter.com/Yi5dBAmbft
Thus, many WNBA fans believe the Fever only traded for Cunningham to protect Caitlin Clark from her bullies— of which there are many. That is not entirely true. Indiana added Cunningham to the mix for a lot of reasons. She is a talented player who spent the early portion of her career learning how to win from some of the greatest to ever do it. She is a great fit with this lineup.
With that being said, Cunningham vowed to protect her new teammate during her first press conference.
Anything she needs from me, I’m gonna be here. But again, I think that just the competitor that I am, I’m fierce, I’m sassy, I stick up for my teammates, stick up for myself. Sometimes, I think that’s okay to be feisty and to be yourself.
— Sophie Cunningham
The addition of DeWanna Bonner will also give Clark some extra security. They actually got into it with each other during the playoffs, but now the former is on the same team as the latter.
Bonner already has a history with Angel Reese, who is Clark’s rival whether they want to admit it or not.
I fully expect Sophie Cunningham and DeWanna Bonner to serve in an enforcer role for Caitlin Clark. I think both moves made a lot of sense for the Indiana Fever in terms of their fit within the roster and what they do on the court. Neither player was acquired to be a goon. But I do think they will make opponents think twice about bumping Clark!