Sophie Cunningham has never been shy about wearing her heart on her sleeve for her team. But one moment after last night's game caught the attention of podcaster Jamie Lardis, and what he had to say says just as much about her character as it does about the moment itself. 

After the game on Friday against the Toronto Tempo, Cunningham posted a video on her Instagram of her driving back home. In the video, she was seen talking about her team following each other on their way back home, which is something that she mentioned she cherishes. 

While this moment might seem insignificant to most, it was a moment that caught Jamie Lardis's eye. She re-shared the video on her X account and wrote in the caption. 

"Sophie Cunningham posted this video after last night’s game, and one thing I’ll never say is that she isn’t the perfect teammate. Her team is her heart." Lardis posted on her X account. " You can see how much she genuinely cares about the people around her."

It's a small gesture, but one that fits a pattern with Cunningham. She's made it clear from the moment she joined Indiana Fever that protecting her teammates, especially Caitlin Clark, isn't just talk. When Clark was shoved to the ground during a heated matchup with the Connecticut Sun, Cunningham didn't hesitate, retaliating against Sun guard Jacy Sheldon and getting ejected in the process. 

Months later, she was at it again, engaging in a tense pointing standoff with Phoenix's DeWanna Bonner after a dust-up involving Clark, a moment that instantly went viral. 

Whether it's on the court or in a quiet Instagram video, the same theme keeps showing up: Sophie Cunningham treats her team like family. For Lardis, that consistency was worth pointing out. 

When Sophie Cunningham made her intentions clear from day one

This isn't a recent trend for Cunningham. Her commitment to being a team-first player is something she said out loud from the moment she arrived in Indiana. 

When Cunningham first signed with the Fever last season, while talking to the media, she made her role on the team clear. 

"Anything she needs from me, I’m gonna be here. But again, I think that just the competitor that I am, I'm fierce, I'm sassy, I stick up for my teammates, stick up for myself," Cunningham said during the interview. "Sometimes, I think that it's okay to be feisty and to be yourself." 

Her care for her teammates has not only earned praise from Jamie Lardis but has also earned praise from her general manager, Amber Cox. In a press release put out after Cunningham's signing, Cox said in the statement, 

"Not only is Sophie one of the best three-point shooters in the league, but she is an exceptional teammate, both on and off the court." 

The label wasn't handed to her by accident. Cunningham built that reputation one comment, one game, and one season at a time, long before it was highlighted by Jamie Lardis. 

Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco