When Caitlin Clark entered the WNBA, she wasn’t just the next big thing—she was the biggest spark the league had ever seen.
But with the spotlight came pressure, and according to Indiana Fever teammate Sophie Cunningham, Clark’s had to endure far more than the typical rookie grind.
On the debut of her podcast Show Me Something with West Wilson, Cunningham shed light on how opponents have targeted Clark since Day 1—knowing how dangerous she can be.
“You have seen players in our league try to toughen up Caitlin—we call her CC,” said Cunningham. “Even when I wasn’t on her team, I know the talks that Phoenix had in the locker room. ‘We’re going to show her what the W really is,’ you know what I mean.”
She added, “I get it to a certain extent, and like every rookie coming into the league, that’s how you’re going to treat them. But there’s just more for her. So it’s her second year, and now being on her team and seeing it—what are people doing? It’s just too much.”
With Clark recovering from injury, Cunningham’s been her vocal defender—calling out the extra heat Clark gets, even as she continues to elevate the league on and off the court.
“It’s Getting So Toxic”: Napheesa Collier Sounds Alarm Over Hate Toward Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese
The tension surrounding WNBA stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese isn’t just happening on the floor—it’s spilling over to fans, and according to Napheesa Collier, it’s getting out of hand.
The Minnesota Lynx forward spoke out during a recent episode of A Touch More, saying the culture around the league has taken a troubling turn.
“You know what is kind of surprising and disappointing, honestly? It is getting so toxic,” Collier said. “I feel like in our league, with a lot of the fans going back and forth… basketball is supposed to be so unifying, and it is so toxic.”
She added, “Every game, it’s just hatred out there towards other players, and not just Angel and Caitlin. But it’s with everyone, and people are just so nasty… We’re playing a game, and you are saying hateful things about players. I feel like we’re trending in a really bad spot with that.”
The WNBA even launched an investigation in May into alleged fan harassment directed at Reese during a Fever game. As two of the league’s most talked-about rookies, both Reese and Clark continue to be lightning rods—not just for attention, but for criticism.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
