If you know anything about Indiana Fever forward Sophie Cunningham, you know she’s not going to mince words. She famously stated, “I said what I said,” while speaking to the media following relentless backlash for saying men should not compete in women’s sports.
That’s why it shouldn’t shock anyone that Cunningham went off on WNBA MVP and Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson for confronting a Fever fan and verbally berating him in Game 2 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for simply pointing at her.
In the latest episode of “No Hesitation,” hosted by Cunningham and elite basketball trainer Drew Hanlen, the Fever forward gave her long-awaited take on the now-infamous incident involving the controversial blocking call.
“Oh my God! I have so many thoughts,” Cunningham stated after her and Hanlen watched a clip from the “Pat McAfee Show” where one of the hosts (Boston Connor) confirmed, just as I did in my reporting following the incident, that the fan said, “It (the foul) is on you,” while pointing.
While explaining that she held back from giving her reaction to the incident on X and saving it “for the pod,” Cunningham went off on Wilson. “Us women in sport, and I’m just gonna say women in sport because that’s my occupation and I have lived this, we yell from the rooftops that we want equality. We want to be treated like the men,” she stated, prefacing her blunt comments.
“We’re gonna go for them for just pointing and saying, ‘You fouled!’? Like grow up! What are we doing?” Cunningham said.
She also took exception to the idea that Wilson, and seemingly other players, should be allowed to attack fans, claiming, “Us athletes need to be treated better” and “These fans need to be more supportive and not say anything negative.”
Cunningham pointed out that she has a unique perspective on this as one of the most, if not the most, hated WNBA players simply because she doesn’t believe men should be in women’s sports and spaces. “I can say this, because I, hands down, have probably got s— on the entire season, maybe sometimes two seasons — people coming after who I am, my character, what I stand for, x, y, z, I could go on and on.”
“I’ve heard the worst of the worst. It’s part of it,” Cunningham said.
“You should be grateful to be on this platform. You should be grateful to be playing basketball for a living and inspiring the next generation. If you really want sports fans, then you’re gonna get sports fans. That includes pointing. That includes getting yelled at. Probably [will] be getting called names.”
“I don’t think [the Fever fan] did absolutely anything wrong,” Cunningham said definitively.
Maybe Cunningham’s most controversial take was saying, “If you want to get technical, that (Wilson’s actions) could’ve called for a suspension, but she’s like the LeBron James of our league so of course they’re (WNBA) not going to suspend her.”
Not only was Wilson not suspended, she was neither ejected, nor was she fined for her actions. Cunningham seems to say players of Wilson’s caliber will be treated far less harshly and get away with clear violations.
Cunningham also said there should have been repercussions for former Fever guard and Amazon Prime commentator Sydney Colson, as well as fellow Amazon analyst Theresa Plaisance, who left their courtside seats to insert themselves in the altercation.
“There’s definitely a double standard,” Cunningham stated.
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As for her feelings about whether her and her team wanted Wilson to play, while waiting for the league to announce if they would punish the Aces’ star, Cunningham cleared the air saying, “We wanted her to play. I think that makes for good basketball.”
“Who would’ve thought that someone pointing would cause so many people to go into a mental spiral? That says a lot more about your mental status to anything the fans are doing,” Cunningham said in response to both Wilson and viewers upset over her poking fun at the situation on TikTok.
Cunningham and her co-host also spent a few minutes comparing the Game 2 incident involving Wilson and the fan with an Aces fan who stepped onto the court and pointed at Lexie Hull following a controversial foul call in Game 3.
Here’s how fans, media and others reacted in the replies on X to Cunningham’s comments:
Cunningham continues to be a refreshing addition to the player-led commentary space. She tells it like it is, without apology. We need more athletes like her. While her teammate Raven Johnson apologized to A’ja Wilson on Friday via X for comments perceived as insensitive during a media appearance with Myisha Hines-Allen about Hines-Allen’s altercation and hard foul on Wilson, Cunningham stands firm in her beliefs and feels no need to bow to the WNBA establishment, which includes Wilson.
