Superstars in the sporting world are treated differently from their colleagues. Fair or not, it is just the way the world of sports works. They get scrutinized, treated differently by refs, treated differently by fans, and ultimately receive special treatment, sometimes in negative and positive ways, from opposing teams.
Caitlin Clark is a certified superstar and the face of the WNBA, which subjects her to all of the above. Most recently, things got testy in the Indiana Fever’s WNBA game against the Connecticut Sun, and tempers flared around Caitlin Clark.
In response, Clark’s teammate on the Indiana Fever, Sophie Cunningham, leaned into being a force of backup for Clark as she was seemingly fed up with the treatment that the star guard was receiving. She spoke up to the media about the unfair treatment Caitlin Clark is getting from the WNBA.
“During that, it was just part of the game. I think the refs had a lot to do with that. It was a build of for a couple of years now of them just not protecting, you know, the star player of the WNBA. So, at the end of the day, I’m going to protect my teammates. That’s what I do, and I’m a team player,” Cunningham said.
Since the spat against the Sun, the Fever dropped their most recent game to the Golden State Valkyries to drop them to 6-6 on the season.
Cunningham’s defense of Clark has proven to excite fans of the WNBA and the Indiana Fever. Her jersey has since sold out on the Indiana Fever’s official team store, while her social media followings have exploded.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Sophie Cunningham slams WNBA treatment of Fever guard Caitlin Clark
Reporting by Riley Donald, Hawkeyes Wire / Hawkeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
