Sophie Cunningham’s true feelings about ‘dirty player’ label after sparking WNBA brawl

Sophie Cunningham has dealt with the ‘dirty player’ label long before her defense of Caitlin Clark went viral last week, but the veteran guard has shrugged off the accusations

Sophie Cunningham previously shrugged off the “dirty player” accusations thrown her way, as she finds herself dealing with fallout of her viral defense of Caitlin Clark last week.

The Indiana Fever guard went from just being a hard worker to an internet sensation in the space of a few hours, following the team’s 88-71 win over the Connecticut Sun. After watching shining star Clark receive a heavy foul from Jacy Sheldon, Cunningham hopped onto the court and was clear about her feelings.

The 28-year-old fiercely knocked Sheldon to the floor not long after the initial foul, inciting a scuffle at one end of the court.

This elicited two fines from the league, with many fans taking to social media to criticize Cunningham’s actions, and some even went as far as to set up a petition to get her banned from the WNBA altogether.

However, this isn’t the first time the Fever star has received some harsh feedback for her behavior as an athlete – and it is not something she takes to heart.

Sophie Cunningham caused controversy on the court with her foul on Sheldon(

In 2024, Cunningham admitted she is no stranger to the “dirty player” label, which has followed her throughout college basketball into the WNBA today.

At the time, the elder basketball star insists that she tends to drown out the noise by focusing on her game, and that there are no ill intentions behind any of her actions.

Cunningham told SlamOnline last year: “For me, I don’t listen to all that noise. I got that stuff in college, too. We beat South Carolina multiple years in a row and all of a sudden I’m the dirty player and it’s like, ‘Nah, I’m just out working.’ I’m working y’all’s a–, you know what I mean?

But I can’t really say that. I’ve been used to it but I just know that I have a very tight circle. I lean on them quite a bit…For me, I just want to be the best teammate, I wanna be the best competitor [and] I wanna do whatever it takes for my team to win and all that other noise can just be squashed.”

The Sheldon foul was seen as an ‘act of revenge’ for her teammate Clark(Image: Andrew J. Clark/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

Cunningham has also been credited for her protective nature over the 23-year-old Clark, after her brawl with Sheldon was seen as an act of revenge for the latter’s foul on the Fever sensation earlier in the game.

And again, it seems like Cunningham’s respect and awe of the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year predates her joining the Fever in January.

Speaking on the Travis Hearn podcast in October last year, the then-Phoenix Mercury star hailed Clark’s attitude and talent in the WNBA. She said: “I think that she’s a gem.

Sophie Cunningham was already a big fan of Caitlin Clark before the pair joined up at the Fever(

“I didn’t know her, but All-Star Weekend we kind of bantered back and forth a little bit. And she’s lovely. She has a lot of pressure on her shoulders. I think a lot of people always have a lot to say with people they don’t even know or shoes they’ve never been in. And for me, I think she’s handling the pressure very well.”

Cunningham added: “I think she’s doing a lot of great things for women’s basketball, and I’m a fan. Like I would love to play with her one day, for real. Caitlin Clark’s been killing it. I’m a huge fan, and I never say that. But I think it’s fun what she’s doing.”

Now, the pair are lighting up the WNBA together, with Cunningham typically coming off of the Fever bench to support and back Clark during tight situations in games. She also stepped up as a key player for the team when Clark was unavailable through injury.