Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham has publicly criticized the Phoenix Mercury, alleging that the team is widely disliked, even by those within their organization. This strong statement comes in the wake of an incident where Fever star Caitlin Clark was struck in the neck by Mercury player Alyssa Thomas during a recent game.
During the game on Wednesday, Clark was driving to the basket and fell to the ground under pressure from multiple Mercury defenders. As she was on the floor, Thomas made contact with her neck. Cunningham, who previously played for the Mercury, voiced her criticisms on the 'Show Me Something' podcast.
"You know what's funny? I know people inside their own organization that nobody likes that team this year," Cunningham stated. "They say they're the unfriendliest group… so we're not the only ones who feel that way."
Cunningham's comments followed a since-deleted social media post by the Mercury that appeared to mock the incident involving Clark. The post featured a doodle of a player on the ground with the caption, “De-wanna piece of this?!?” The doodle was reportedly intended to represent Mercury veteran DeWanna Bonner, who is engaged to Thomas, after Bonner hit a shot while drawing a foul. The caption was a play on Bonner’s name. While initially some fans interpreted the post as a direct reference to Clark, who wears No. 22, the team later removed it.
Cunningham also addressed the on-court incident, stating that her team did not see the play in real-time but would have supported Clark had they witnessed it. "Unfortunately, this type of s*** happens every single game to her and the league and the refs do absolutely nothing about it," Cunningham said. "You see the videos of literally kneeing and cheap-shotting C in the throat… they are definitely targeting her and the league and the refs do nothing to protect her."
Thomas served a one-game suspension for the incident and was not present for the Mercury's game on Saturday. However, her fiancée, DeWanna Bonner, wore Thomas's No. 25 jersey to the game, a gesture many interpreted as a continued jab at Clark and the Fever.
Phoenix Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts expressed his disappointment with the league's suspension process, calling it "not a thorough investigation." He defended Thomas, stating, "She's a competitor, she's a winner, and she's tough. The one thing she is not is cheap."
Clark herself missed Saturday night's game against the Los Angeles Sparks due to a back injury sustained during the game against the Mercury. Thomas is scheduled to return to the court on Thursday against the Seattle Storm.