Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham is fed up. After a controversial incident where Phoenix Mercury’s Alyssa Thomas struck Caitlin Clark in the throat during Wednesday night’s game, Cunningham took to her podcast to call out the WNBA for what she sees as a pattern of targeting the league’s biggest draw.
“None of our team saw it happen, because I promise you if we would have seen that happen then we would’ve had her back,” Cunningham said on the latest episode of “Show Me Something.” “Unfortunately, this type of [expletive] happens every single game to her and the league and the refs do absolutely nothing nothing about it.”
Thomas was initially not penalized during the game, but the WNBA reviewed the play and handed down a one-game suspension for the flagrant foul. The league’s statement called it a “reckless” strike to the throat area. But for Cunningham, that’s far from enough.
“You see the videos of literally kneeing and cheap-shotting Caitlin in the throat,” Cunningham added. “They are definitely targeting her, and the league and the refs do nothing to protect her.”
The frustration is boiling over in Indiana. Clark, who has been the face of a surging WNBA season, is now sidelined with a back injury and will miss Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Sparks. Fever coach Stephanie White told reporters, “She’s okay. She’s going to be out on Saturday. No indication [on how long she’s going to be out]. Obviously, it’s a good time since we have all week [off] next week. We’ll take this opportunity to get her treatment, get her healthy and get her back on the floor.”
This isn’t just a Fever problem. Former NFL star LeSean McCoy went on a blistering rant, warning that the league’s future is at stake. McCoy said the WNBA could collapse if it doesn’t protect Clark. “If Caitlin Clark keeps getting fouled like this, there won’t be a WNBA,” McCoy said. “If I’m Caitlin Clark, I’m done, man. I’ll take myself somewhere else. If Caitlin Clark said today, ‘I’m done with the WNBA,’ where would the WNBA be? It’d be over.”
The incident has sparked a broader conversation about player safety and how the league handles physical play against its marquee talent. With Clark drawing massive crowds and TV ratings, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The WNBA now faces pressure to send a clear message that targeting won’t be tolerated.
For Cunningham, the solution is simple: the league needs to step up. “They are definitely targeting her,” she repeated. The question now is whether the WNBA will listen before another star gets hurt.
