Sophie Cunningham Vows to 'Stick Up' for Caitlin Clark and Fever Teammates

Indiana Fever standout Sophie Cunningham is standing on business when it comes to Caitlin Clark.

Mercury Sophie Cunningham (9) shoots in warmups prior to the home opener at the Footprint Center on Saturday, May 18, 2024. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Indiana Fever's front office surely wasn't compelled to trade for Sophie Cunningham solely because of her three-point shooting and defensive capabilities, despite those obviously being central reasons they did so.

In addition to that, the toughness, grit, and chip that seemingly always stays on Cunningham's shoulder made her an attractive offseason acquisition for Indiana. This is especially true considering that a common narrative during Fever superstar Caitlin Clark's rookie season was that she was getting pushed around a lot by some of the league's veterans and needed an enforcer-type of teammate to help settle any on-court disputes.

Cunningham spoke with the media upon her arrival to the Fever's Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 11. And at one point, she sent a clear message about how she's going to protect her new teammate.

"When you’re trying to do something great, it takes everybody. And so I want her to do her thing," Cunningham said of Clark, per an X post from user @drafts95452567.

"Anything she 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," she added. "Sometimes, I think that it's okay to be feisty and to be yourself."

It will be fun to see Cunningham working as Clark's enforcer during the Fever 2025 season, and whether that will make opponents across the league think twice about fouling Clark hard or talking trash to her.

This is yet another of the many exciting storylines that will make the Fever fascinating to watch in 2025.