Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham stated that opposing players are deliberately targeting teammate Caitlin Clark on the court, and that WNBA referees are failing to protect the rookie star.
"You see the videos of literally kneeing and cheapshotting [Clark] in the throat... they're definitely targeting her and the league and the refs do nothing to protect her," Cunningham said on her podcast Saturday. She added that she and her Fever teammates did not witness the specific incident where Phoenix Mercury star Alyssa Thomas struck Clark in the throat during a game on Wednesday, noting that if they had, they would have intervened.
Cunningham described the situation as a recurring issue for Clark. "Unfortunately, this type of [expletive] happens every single game to her and the league and the refs do absolutely nothing about it," she said.
In a separate incident from the same game, Cunningham herself received a technical foul for repeatedly pointing at officials and Phoenix Mercury forward-guard DeWanna Bonner. The moment became a viral meme. Cunningham described the technical foul as "the weakest thing I’ve ever seen in my life," asserting that she "didn’t say a word" and was only pointing. She also commented on Bonner's reaction, stating the opposing player was "losing her s---" because of Cunningham's gesture.
Cunningham also voiced frustration with the WNBA's promotional efforts, pointing to a recent league graphic that omitted Clark while including Cunningham and other players. She called the decision "a joke" and a reason for criticism directed at the league. Cunningham argued that the WNBA should prioritize marketing its top players, including Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, and Aliyah Boston, to maximize revenue and fan engagement.
"If they were smart they would market this [expletive] out of some of us. They don't," Cunningham said. "That should be Caitlin. That should be Kelsey Mitchell. That should be Aaliyah Boston. Like, why are we putting random players on there? I'm one of them... What we do makes no sense... Even the people they put on the commercials, like they could, if they're really trying to make money, they are going to put people out there that first of all people want to see, that people are going to bring attention to, and they just don't."