The relationship between Caitlin Clark and her “enforcer” Sophie Cunningham has shown hints of decay dating back to when Cunningham sparked a social media war about transgenders playing in women’s sports. Clark refused to take a stance on the issue or support Cunningham’s views on the firestorm issue. Instead, the 2024 Rookie of the Year and current MVP candidate chose to focus on basketball, especially the upcoming FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup gold medal that she eventually helped Team USA secure over France on Sunday.
Caitlin Clark & Sophie Cunningham Still Cool Like That?
The WNBA is still coming out of the Twilight Zone as it prepares to restart the season on Sept. 17 and roll into the playoffs. Everything that we thought we knew to be true about the dynamics of the league and the relationships within it are shifting.
Prior to that moment, these two were inseparable, with Cunningham and Fever teammate Lexie Hall caddying for Clark during The Annika golf event last November. “Tres Leches” also made concert appearances together, while leading a ferocious and fiercely loyal fan base in feeding a divisive narrative that has elevated Cunningham to status as one of the league’s most popular players.
These days, you can barely get Cunningham to mention Clark on her podcast. Clark’s blooming friendship with Angel Reese, a player who Cunningham has mixed it up with in defense of Clark in the past, and Sophie’s recent response to a question about her absence at the FIBA World Cup Finals, has created more social media skepticism about the strength of Clark and Cunningham’s friendship.
Cunningham told reporters during Indiana Fever media availability on Monday that she didn’t catch Clark’s gold-medal game when Team USA faced France in the FIBA World Cup finals.
“No. I was busy,” Cunningham said.
The excuse seemed shocking to some, but Cunningham is all about her brand these days, and she wants to keep her celebrity elevation going. The gold medal game between the United States and France took place at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday. During that time, Cunningham was making an appearance at NASCAR’s Enjoy Illinois 300, which took place in Madison, Illinois. She has really leaned into that audience and culture, and they are her biggest supporters.
According to Cunningham, she was having the “best day of my life,” while meeting Michael Jordan and Jeff Gordon.
Fans React To Sophie Cunningham’s Brief Response To Caitlin Clark’s FIBA World Cup Gold
WNBA fans on social media were very critical of Cunningham’s response, with some suggesting that she should have been more supportive of the superstar whose coattails she rode to fame.
“How are you too busy to hear your country accomplished a championship in the sport you play?” one netizen quipped.
“She got the fame she wanted off of Caitlin. Like a vulture, she’s onto to the next opportunity,” another fan accused.
“Sophie fame became obvious to many because of Caitlin Clark….especially when she stood up for Caitlin… Without Caitlin, Sophie would be just another non existent player,” one user commented on X.
“Sounds like Sophie was using CC to get her attention. Now that she got all attention she have and taking advantage of CC. That is disgusting. CC, please leave fever for next year. You don’t deserve this,” one CC supporter wrote in the comments.
“I get that she was also busy doing her own thing. But, it’s the ‘good, congrats’ thing that just comes across as petty and unsupportive,” expressed an Indiana Fever Fan who was unimpressed by Cunningham’s answer.
“Funny how Caitlin was useful to Sophie when she needed attention,” another fan commented.
Clark & Cunningham Take The Court Again For Indiana Fever On Sept. 17
During an August dominated by discussions about protecting girls in sports, some of Cunningham’s fans criticized Clark for refusing to get involved in a political battle over an issue that isn’t even a situation the league has to deal with right now. There were protests supporting Cunningham, held by girls and their families outside of stadiums. Cunningham had to defend herself against coaches, fans and league executives. She also had plenty of support, especially from NBA players Enes Kanter and Royce White.
Cunningham and Clark will reconnect on the court when the Fever resume action in the 2026 WNBA regular season when they take on the Toronto Tempo this Friday at Coca-Cola Coliseum. Indiana (26-14) is still looking to secure home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Cunningham Says New WNBA Commissioner Should Be More Sociable
While people speculate about a fracture in Clark and Cunningham’s friendship, Cunningham shared her thoughts on the next WNBA Commissioner to replace recently retired Cathy Engelbert. The sharp-shooting forward’s theme was about unity.
“Truly, I think that the WNBA has always been a place for people to feel safe and comfortable. I think there’s all types of walks in this organization, or in this league, which I think is absolutely awesome. … You need someone who’s going to unite everybody, because it can be so different.”
It’s unlikely that the league would hire a player to be the commissioner. The job of the commissioner is to actually make sure the owners are happy and profiting. They don’t tend to take the side of players in most issues of finance. When other conflicts arise between the players and owners – of a non financial nature — the commissioner still tends to use their strong hand towards the players, not the league that employs them.
In any event, Cunningham will continue to use her newfound celebrity and voice to carve out a career path. She’s currently on a one-year $600K deal with the Fever, and her future with the team is up in the air. Especially now that she and CC don’t seem to be on the same page, with the same things, anymore.
