Not on her list. That’s what Sophie Cunningham thought of Caitlin Clark after listing down the toughest players in the WNBA. While it is no doubt how close both these ladies are both as teammates and as friends, the exclusion still comes as a bit of a surprise to those watching.
“I’d probably go Alyssa Thomas, she’s just tough, man,” Cunningham said (29:44 mark of the Podcast P episode). She followed that by naming Allisha Gray, praising her impact on both ends of the floor. “I would like Allisha Gray. … I just think she’s like a silent assassin. Like she doesn’t do too much, she’s not loud at what she does, but she’s had a hell of a season.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ehnfddhpl-w
The top 3 being filled by the really tough, seasoned, and highly active players this season and those previous. Then comes the fourth with Kelsey Mitchell who’s been carrying part of Indiana Fever’s heavy burden since Sophie Cunningham and CC let go of the slack.
“I think another one I would pick Kelsey Mitchell. She’s just on another planet right now. … Literally, no one can stop her.”
That may send the wrong signals to the observers and the debaters, but Sophie Cunningham should be the one of the best people to know this more than the fans. And coming from her, we’re pretty sure Caitlin Clark would understand. At the moment, both ladies have been ruled out and would have to sit out until the next season to provide a counterargument to this. But both have also been heavily invested in keeping up appearances in Social Media and on the sidelines.
One thing is for sure: popularity, influence and fan pull could help the league a lot in the long run, but these attributes mean nothing to skill, contribution, and toughness in the court.
Sophie Cunningham Reveals Fever Coaches’ Playoff Preference
Sophie Cunningham also shared an inside look at the Fever’s mindset heading into the postseason. According to her, some of the Indiana coaches had a surprising preference in terms of first-round matchups.
“A lot of our staff wanted to play the Aces instead of Atlanta,” Cunningham said. “I was like, ‘Hell no, what are you guys talking about?’ … Even if they have one off night, whatever, they have won championships after championships and you have the reigning MVP three of four different times. … I was like, ‘We want Atlanta, we do not want Vegas.'”
Her honesty shows both respect and caution. Cunningham’s take reminds everyone that Las Vegas remains the toughest test in the league, while Atlanta offers a more balanced fight for Indiana to start their playoff run.
For more basketball content, click on Hardwood Heroics. Sabel Reyes can be reached through sabelreyes22@gmail.com. Other websites under the Sports Heroics umbrella are Gridiron Heroics and Wisconsin Heroics.
Sabel has been working as a field reporter for People’s Television Network (PTV), mainly about the Philippine Basketball Association since 2016 and has been elevated to Executive Producer for sports in 2022. Aside from being on top of the Philippine sports scene, she is also a running enthusiast. You can also follow her on X at @SabelReyes2 and Instagram at @msabelreyes.
