One of the most common narratives within the 2025 WNBA season was the physicality that the league’s players were subject to by their peers. This has been a hotly debated topic ever since Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark entered the WNBA in 2024 and quickly was on the receiving end of this physicality, many instances of which resulted in flagrant fouls.
This narrative continued in 2025. And it reached new heights when Clark’s Fever team faced the Connecticut Sun on June 17, when Clark was shoved to the ground by Marina Mabrey in the third quarter. Mabrey did this because Clark was in a tussle with Jacy Sheldon after Sheldon poked Clark in the eye while playing defense.
Tensions intensified one quarter later, when Cunningham grabbed Sheldon and threw her to the ground while Sheldon went for a layup. This sparked a brief brawl between Indiana and Connecticut and got both Cunningham and Sheldon ejected. And in the aftermath of this, one of the top topics within the women’s basketball sphere was whether Cunningham went too far in her protection of Clark with this physical act against Sheldon.
Jun 17, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) fouls Connecticut Sun guard Jacy Sheldon (4) in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
In many ways, this made Cunningham the poster girl for physicality in the WNBA, which made her even more polarizing than she already was.
Sophie Cunningham’s Stance on WNBA Physicality Turns Heads
Cunningham hasn’t shied away from this distinction. In fact, she seems to take pride in it, which was conveyed by an interesting comment she made about physical play in the WNBA during a November 4 episode of her Show Me Something podcast.
“I think the league is very physical. And I think it needs to be that way. Like, I’m all for that. I think that’s part of being a pro. It’s about being at the next level, it’s about being around elite-level athletes,” Cunningham said of the WNBA.
“And it’s awesome to see strong women being able to play physical. And showing young boys, young girls that it’s okay to work hard, to sweat, to be physical, but also to enjoy what you do and love what you do,” she added.
“This last season, I think that when it comes to maybe the physicality around the league, maybe it was a little too much. What’s considered a foul in the rulebook maybe needs to change a little bit.”
She later added that while she likes how much physicality is in the WNBA right now, she thinks the referees need to be more consistent in officiating it so that things don’t spiral out of control.
This is an interesting take from Cunningham that’s sure to turn heads from fans around the league.
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