Sophie Cunningham Conveys Hollywood Nickname She'll Earn Playing With Caitlin Clark

Indiana Fever standout Sophie Cunningham revealed a hilarious nickname she might earn this season.

Sep 17, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Phoenix Mercury guard Sophie Cunningham (9) celebrates against the LA Sparks in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

One of the more notable moves that Indiana Fever made this offseason was acquiring former Phoenix Mercury wing Sophie Cunningham in a three-team trade.

In addition to Cunningham's elite defense and three-point shooting ability, the 28-year-old University of Missouri product conveyed another reason why she's an asset for the Fever during a March 11 media scrum.

"Anything [Caitlin Clark] needs from me, I’m gonna be here. But again, I think that just the competitor that I am, I'm fierce, I'm sassy, I stick up for my teammates, stick up for myself. Sometimes, I think that it's okay to be feisty and to be yourself," Cunningham said.

The Fever became known for their high-flying offense under Clark last season. And with Stephanie White being the team's new head coach, this is expected to continue in 2025. Cunningham offered an interesting explanation for why this play style suits her during an interview with Pat Boylan that the Fever's social media team released on March 13.

"To be honest, I've played in a motion offense my whole life outside of Phoenix," Cunningham said. "Where I'm more, I like to move, I like to run, I like to dribble and kick... And so when you see Caitlin, when you see Aliyah Boston, she's a great passer. Kelsey Mitchell is a great passer, that if you move, if you make the great cut, you're gonna get the ball."

She then added, "I like to run. I kind of get the name Forrest Gump sometimes. And I'm like 'Hey, if you guys wanna call me that, that's fine. I'll meet you down the court every time."

sophie on her fit with the fever:
“i played in a motion offense my whole life, outside of phoenix...i like to move, i like to run, i like to dribble and kick. when you see caitlin, aliyah boston–she’s a great passer...if you make a great cut, you’re gonna get the ball.” pic.twitter.com/BwztLsIOlb

— cc akgae (@clrkszn) March 13, 2025

While this Forrest Gump reference came out of left field, Fever fans will happily call Cunningham that if it results in transition buckets.