Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham used her podcast to dismiss a recent The Athletic column that urged her team to release her. Cunningham responded with a blunt "Suck it" message, while her co-host Drew Hanlen defended her professional value using league-wide statistics.
"Suck it": Sophie Cunningham's blunt response to The Athletic's "turbulent" label
During an episode of the podcast No Hesitation with Sophie Cunningham and Drew Hanlen, Sophie Cunningham addressed an October 6 column from The Athletic. The piece argued that the Indiana Fever should part ways with Cunningham, describing her as "too turbulent" and "combustible" to be paid alongside star player Caitlin Clark. Cunningham responded to the critique by stating she no longer allows external opinions to dictate her life, asserting that many critics have never played the game they analyze.
According to the report, Cunningham views the column as an attempt by a journalist to remain relevant through controversy. She emphasized that she is aware of the value she brings to the Indiana Fever, regardless of whther that value is captured in a traditional box score or viewed favorably by media members.
The 60.8% effective field goal percentage Drew Hanlen used to defend Cunningham
Drew Hanlen, co-host of the No Hesitation podcast,characterized the column as a "hate piece" and sought to correct the basketball-related claims made by the author. hanlen pointed out that Sophie Cunningham ranked fourth among all WNBA bench scorers this season and established herself as a top-five three-point shooter in the league. he specifically highlighted her 60.8% effective field goal percentage, which he noted ranked fourth across the WNBA.
As the report says, Hanlen challenged the columnist's questioning of why a team would value a bench player averaging only eight points. He argued that a top-five bench scorer who can shoot efficiently from the perimeter is a "valuable commodity" for any professional roster. The raw data supports this efficiency, with Cunningham shooting 46% from the field and 41.9% from beyond the arc across 43 appearances for the Indiana Fever.
From Fox News to the Fever: The fallout over biological men in women's sports
The tension surrounding Sophie Cunningham extends beyond her shooting percentages and into a broader cultural debate. The The Athletic column's suggestion that she is too "combustible" stems from Cunningham's public stance on protecting biological women from competing against biological men in sports.. This position has sparked sigificant backlash on social media and led to demonstrations both for and against her views.
The controversy has reached mainstream political media, including discussions on Fox News featuring contributor Kat Timpf and podcast host Kennedy. these commentators noted that a significant portion of the country agrees with Cunningham's position on women's sports.. This intersection of athletic performance and political identity has made Cunningham a polarizing figure within the WNBA ecosystem, where her role as a "protective teammate" is weighed against the perceived distraction of her public persona.
Will unrestricted free agency determine Sophie Cunningham's future?
A critical unknown remains regarding how the Indiana Fever front office views the balance between Cunningham's on-court efficiency and her off-court volatility. because Sophie Cunningham is headed toward unrestricted free agency, the team is not obligated to retain her, and other WNBA franchises will now have the opportunity to evaluate her value.
It remains unclear if other teams will view her top-five bench scoring as an asset that outweighs the "turbulent" reputation described by The Athletic. Furthermore, the source does not provide a direct response from the Indiana Fever organization regarding whether they intend to re-sign Cunningham or if the media pressure has influenced their internal evaluations.
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