"She just panders to CC fans": 2x NCAA champ claims Sophie Cunningham appeases Caitlin Clark's supporters to make money 

Two-time NCAA champ and former WNBA player Val Whiting has accused Sophie Cunningham of pandering to Caitlin Clark's supporters. Whiting claimed that on X, after Clark's fans reacted to Cunningham revealing that the superstar has LeBron James-like influence on the Indiana Fever.

"I think the reason behind that is because those types of athletes, they get to come into an organization, they have the green light and they can do whatever they want," Cunningham said on her podcast, "Show Me Something."

She confirmed talking about Clark after her co-host questioned if that was the case, saying:

"Yeah, as she should. ... When you have a generational talent like that, she should have a lot to say (about) the system."

A user named "Cancun CC Report (@cc22report) used Cunningham's information to give a reality check to the people who called out the Fever front office regarding their decision-making.

Replying to that comment, Whiting wrote:

"I feel like SC just panders to CC fans bc she knows it makes her popular and paid"

Caitlin Clark probably has the biggest following in all of sports at the moment. Her fans have leaned towards praising players who have shown their support for the Indiana Fever superstar. Val Whiting, however, believes Sophie Cunningham has an ulterior motive for doing it, as it increases her popularity and helps her make money.

Whiting doubled down on her take after a fan said it was wrong for her to insinuate that Cunningham has no "integrity." She wrote:

"I’ve been following SC since college. I see a difference. But go off"

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Sophie Cunningham saw a spike in her popularity after donning Caitlin Clark's enforcer hat

Whether Sophie Cunningham "panders" to Caitlin Clark's fans or not is up for debate, but it's difficult to deny that she has naturally built excellent chemistry with the Fever superstar. It was evident during their time on and off the court in their first year as teammates.

One of the biggest tests of Cunningham's loyalty to Clark came to light when she got involved in a scuffle involving the point guard, Marina Mabrey and Jacy Sheldon on June 17. Cunningham intervened after Clark was shoved on the floor and later committed a flagrant foul on Sheldon as revenge.

Cunningham became an instant hit among not just Clark's supporters, but the Fever's, too. She earned 700,000 new followers on TikTok and 244,000 on Instagram after the incident, crossing at least a million on both platforms.

Sophie Cunningham also added to her net worth by signing deals with Adidas, Arby's and Ring. Meanwhile, her podcast is associated with "The Volume." All that may not have transpired if Cunningham hadn't joined the Fever and emerged as one of Caitlin Clark's closest teammates.

Edited by Arhaan Raje