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There’s a strong case to be made that no women’s basketball player in the world whose stardom has skyrocketed in the past year more than Sophie Cunningham.
The 29-year-old was traded to the Indiana Fever on February 2, 2025, as part of a four-team trade that involved the Fever, the Dallas Wings, the Phoenix Mercury, and the Connecticut Sun. Cunningham (who made her admiration and Caitlin Clark in the past apparent) quickly acclimated to Indiana’s locker room, which was shown by her becoming quick friends with Clark, Lexie Hull, and several other Fever players.
Fans started liking Cunningham becuase of her gritty playing style and timely three-point shooting. However, Cunningham’s stardom skyrocketed when she throw Jacy Sheldon to the ground during a June 17 game, which was retaliation for Sheldon poking Caitlin Clark and the eye and then shoving her one quarter prior.
RELATED: Sun Coach Rips Fever Star Sophie Cunningham for ‘Stupid’ Jacy Sheldon Foul, Melee
One common complaint from Fever fans during Clark’s rookie 2024 season was that nobody stepped up as her enforcer when she was subject to physical play and flagrant fouls from opposing players. Cunningham taking on that role made her beloved among Indiana’s fanbase while also making her perhaps the most polarizing figure within the broader women’s basketball community.
And she capitalized on this by being active and engaging on social media, and saw her following on all platforms grow to impressive lengths because of it.
Cunningham’s future in Indiana is uncertain, given that she is set to become a free agent. While she has expressed an interest in returning to the Fever, she has also made it clear that she intends to maximize her earnings, and if that opportunity is with another WNBA franchise, she has no problem taking it.
RELATED: Caitlin Clark Gets Ultimate Vote Of Confidence From Sophie Cunningham
Sophie Cunningham’s Dancing Video Turns Heads
Cunningham is keeping busy while her free agency (along with that of the rest of the league) is impending. She posted a TikTok video on February 15 where she’s dancing alongside former Fever player Erica Wheeler.
At one point in the video, the song (“Strut” by Ayanna Ife, Jenn Carter, and Zeddy Will) has lyrics that say, “Whole lotta junk in the trunk”. Cunningham and Wheeler (who were never on Indiana at the same time) seemed to have a lot of fun filming the video together.
It will be fascinating to see how much Cunningham’s popularity will continue to grow, and how much her being or not being in Indiana will impact that.
