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Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham described her WNBA fight as an isolated, rare incident.
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Cunningham emphasized fights are uncommon: “Literally never happens. It barely even happens on the court.”
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Fever locker room resolves conflicts through open communication, aiming for shared success and growth.
Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham was involved in one of the most controversial moments in the WNBA this past season. The 6-foot-1 guard, who averaged 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.7 triples this season for Indiana, was ejected from a game against the Connecticut Sun on June 17 after getting into it with Jacy Sheldon.
Earlier in the said game, Caitlin Clark got poked in the eye by Sheldon, and it wasn’t until late in the contest that Cunningham supposedly retaliated on behalf of the Fever superstar. Cunningham delivered a flagrant foul on Sheldon, which led to an altercation involving multiple players.
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Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham and Connecticut Sun guard Jacy Sheldon get into a fight.Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
According to Cunningham, fights are not very common in the WNBA. In fact, she asserted that the incident she was involved in was a rather extreme and isolated case.
In a recent episode of her “Show Me Something” podcast, the 29-year-old answered a fan question about in-game altercations and if these somehow spill over to the locker room. Cunningham made it abundantly clear that fights aren’t normal in the WNBA.
“No, honestly, that never happens,” Cunningham said. “Literally never happens. It barely even happens on the court. I think probably what I did this year is the most that’s been done in years. But yeah, that’s just not how we roll on our side.”
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The former Missouri Tigers star then turned her attention to the Fever as she touched on her team’s locker room dynamics. According to Cunningham, she and her teammates can understand one another and make the necessary adjustments so as to avoid potential fights or conflicts behind closed doors.
“But I will say, there are a lot of … Actually, this team was so good this year with Indiana that we would just talk it out,” she said. “Everyone was very understanding. Everyone just wanted to do their best to grow.
“Sometimes, part of being an elite-level athlete is you can’t always listen to the tone of people because everyone’s competing at such a high level that you just have to listen to the message. And so that’s on you to mature, to grow, to know that everyone’s in it for the same reason — you’re trying to win.”
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There’s no denying that the intensity of competition sometimes spills over, even between teammates. However, as Cunningham described, the Fever players are consummate professionals, whose personal relationships also allow them to move past whatever potential misunderstanding that might occur. As she said, at the end of the day, they are all united in a solitary goal: winning.
Cunningham’s current deal ends once the WNBA free agency window opens on Feb. 1, making her an unrestricted free agent.
Related: Indiana Fever Rookie Makes Waves After Landing Job Away From the WNBA
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Oct 21, 2025, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
