Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham recently addressed misunderstandings arising from her comments about teammates Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell. With the Fever achieving great success this season and entering the postseason, both Clark and Mitchell have emerged as strong contenders for the WNBA Most Valuable Player Award. Last week, Cunningham expressed her support for both players as potential award recipients on her newly launched podcast with trainer Drew Hanlan.
However, Hanlan noted in this week’s podcast that a particular clip from last week’s episode gained considerable attention. It showed Cunningham praising Mitchell, leading to perceptions that she was downplaying Clark’s achievements. Hanlan mentioned receiving many comments suggesting that people were upset, believing Cunningham was unfavorable toward Caitlin.
Yeah, I just think it’s crazy because I have two great, great players on my team, and I’m gonna hype both of them up,
Cunningham stated on the No Hesitation podcast. I could make an argument that Kelsey should be MVP. I could make a big argument that CC should be MVP, and we totally hype both of them up. You know how the internet works. They just wanted to clip whatever.
Cunningham referred to the situation as actually psychotic and noted that it offers a glimpse into the nature of WNBA media. She countered claims suggesting she lacked interest in supporting her teammates, Clark and Aliyah Boston, during the FIBA World Cup Finals against France. Cunningham explained that she was participating in a NASCAR promotion and could not watch the game.
Since joining Clark and the Fever several seasons ago, Cunningham, now 30, has seen a rise in popularity due to her bold personality and willingness to share her views on various topics. She shared that a primary reason for co-hosting the podcast with Hanlan was to respond to narratives shaped by media or fans aiming to create viral moments.
Currently, the MVP race is ongoing, with Clark and Mitchell in the conversation but not leading the contenders. Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson stands as the favorite for a record fifth win, with Minnesota Lynx rookie Olivia Miles trailing her in odds.
The Indiana Fever continue their regular-season schedule with a game on Friday night against the Toronto Tempo at 7:30 p.m. ET.