Fever's Sophie Cunningham Hit With Surprise News After Defending Caitlin Clark

Newsweek

5 hours ago

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Tuesday's 88-71 win over the Connecticut Sun was memorable for the Indiana Fever for a few reasons, especially since it put the team in the Commissioner's Cup championship game against the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday, July 1 at 8 p.m. on Amazon Prime Video.
However, what most fans will remember about the game is the melees that happened in the third and fourth quarters, centered around Fever star Caitlin Clark.
Things got tense in the third when Sun guard Jacy Sheldon poked Clark in the eye as she was backing her up and muscling her way to the basket. Seconds later, Sun guard Marina Mabrey charged in and shoved Clark to the floor, prompting several foul calls.
Clark was hit with a technical for shoving Sheldon after the eye poke. Conversely, Sheldon was assessed a flagrant for poking Clark in the eye, and both Mabrey and Tina Charles were hit with technical fouls as well for their involvement.
Sophie Cunningham #8 and Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever cheer from the bench against the Chicago Sky at the United Center on June 07, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.
Sophie Cunningham #8 and Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever cheer from the bench against the Chicago Sky at the United Center on June 07, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.It marks the second straight game Clark has picked up a technical after she was hit with one during the Fever's 102-88 win over the New York Liberty last Saturday for arguing about a call with the officials.
Cunningham seemingly wasn't satisfied with how the Clark situation was handled, and she later took matters into her own hands in the final minute of the game when she fouled Sheldon hard, leading to her ejection and a benches-clearing scuffle under the basket.
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Fever fans applauded Cunningham for retaliating against Sheldon, especially since the beating Clark has taken this season has been a highly debated topic on social media.
Those same fans showed their appreciation for the 28-year-old standing up for her teammate by buying out every single one of Cunningham's jerseys on the WNBA store, which is operated by Fanatics.
Sophie Cunningham jerseys have completely sold out following last night's altercation https://t.co/TKGXtyspBZ pic.twitter.com/xjv5k5vIPi — Clark Report (@CClarkReport) June 18, 2025
As of Wednesday afternoon, all adult sizes were sold out, and the only Cunningham jerseys fans could purchase were youth sizes.
Fever fans took to social media to enjoy their handiwork.
"Y'all can't say that that fan base doesn't put their money where their mouth is 😂," one fan wrote.
"The fans understood the assignment 👏," another fan added.
"I tried to buy one this morning multiple sites are out of stock!! Love her," one user noted.
"Just like that she became a favorite," remarked one fan.
Cunningham scored five points and logged seven rebounds, an assist, and a steal before being ejected. Injuries have limited her this season, as she's played in just six of Indiana's 11 games.