Being the face of the league definitely brings unwanted attention from opponents on the court as well. While Caitlin Clark has managed to fight her way through, Sophie Cunningham has been the one constantly defending Clark when it has mattered.

Cunningham has never failed to make her presence felt for Clark and her teammates, whether by taking down those who bully Clark or by getting in the faces of opponents determined to harm Caitlin.

There is a reason she is known as the enforcer of the team, and she recently revealed that such actions also help in building the team chemistry in a league where constant shake-ups are happening every season.

“Our league is hard from top to bottom. I don’t care if you’re ranked first in the league or if you’re 15th in the league, it’s a hard league to play in, it’s a hard league to play in,” Sophie said. “Each year, there is a different roster, different type of expectation, different type of chemistry.”

While Clark has always gathered attention since her inception in the league, her issue with officiating has increased tenfold this season.

With that, opponents have tended to use that frustration against her, and we have witnessed some heated on-court moments involving Clark.

One example of this came when the Indiana Fever faced the Phoenix Mercury on June 22. During a tense moment while jostling for position with DeWanna Bonner, Caitlin was frustrated by the unnecessary provocation.

But before Bonner could escalate matters, Cunningham came to the rescue and made the now-viral pointing gesture while keeping intense eye contact to push the Mercury guard over the edge.

Cunningham has proved herself as a teammate, but to help Clark further, there is another thing she can master.

Sophie Cunningham Can Add More Value to the Box Score

Cunningham has taken her scoring skills to a new gear this season, shooting at a career-high 43.5 percent from the three-point line while averaging 9.6 points per game.

But as the 14-9 Fever currently sits as the fourth seed in the standings entering an important phase of the regular season, they need to aim for bigger goals now.

And those goals require squad depth and the clutch factor, which Cunningham can bring on if she truly wants to become Clark's backcourt partner.

So, do you think Sophie Cunningham can elevate her game to greater heights for Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Joy Bassy