Fever guard Sophie Cunningham says players are 'definitely targeting' Caitlin Clark. Does she have a point?
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Sophie Cunningham defended Caitlin Clark on her podcast "Show Me Something," saying opponents are "definitely targeting" Clark and that "the league and the refs do absolutely nothing about it."
- Alyssa Thomas kneed Clark in the thigh and put her fist into Clark's neck during Wednesday's loss to the Mercury; no foul was called in-game, but the league retroactively upgraded it to a Flagrant 2 and suspended Thomas for one game.
- Clark left the game with a back injury and was ruled out indefinitely, missing Saturday's matchup against the Los Angeles Sparks.
- Clark has drawn nine flagrant fouls in 72 career games since entering the league in 2024 — the most of any player in that span, or roughly one every eight games.
- Only two of seven notable fouls on Clark were called as flagrant in real time; three others were retroactively upgraded, including two Flagrant 2s and one resulting suspension, with two landing-space fouls never upgraded at all.
- Twice in Clark's last 25 games, the league retroactively acknowledged contact should have resulted in an ejection — yet the only four other Flagrant 2 fouls league-wide since her debut were all called in real time.
- Coach Stephanie White said after Wednesday's game that Clark is "not called the same way everybody else is called," and the source notes Cunningham has previously been fined for podcast and TikTok comments.
Why it matters: Cunningham's accusation is backed by league data: Clark has drawn nine flagrant fouls in 72 career games — more than any WNBA player since 2024 — and both Flagrant 2s on her were retroactively upgraded. Coach Stephanie White said Clark is "not called the same way everybody else is called," pointing to a referee pattern with direct injury implications for the Fever.
Ask SkimNews
