Sophie Cunningham has responded to criticism that she chose not to watch the United States’ FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup final against France, stating that she was not disinterested in the squad or her Indiana Fever colleagues.
Cunningham’s attendance at the NASCAR Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway in Illinois on September 13, the day Team USA competed against France for the gold medal, sparked the issue.
As a USA Network studio commentator at the event, Cunningham interacted with a number of well-known personalities from the motor industry, which includes Jeff Gordon and Michael Jordan.
The next day, Cunningham responded succinctly when questioned if she had seen Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark play for Team USA, saying, “No, I was busy.”
When told that the US had defeated France and that Boston and Clark had “got it done,” Cunningham said, “Good! Congrats.”
Some fans asked why a Fever player would not have watched two of her teammates compete for a gold medal after that comment swiftly went viral on the internet.
On her No Hesitation podcast, Cunningham has now provided much more background, stating that she had been keeping up with the competition even if she wasn’t watching the championship game.
On the No Hesitation podcast, she expressed, claiming, “I definitely saw the stats.”
Later, she talked about how she was frequently asked if she had seen the game.
“I knew they won gold. Some guy was like, ‘So did you watch the game?’ And I was like, ‘No.’ And they’re like, ‘Well, they won gold.’ And I’m like, ‘Duh, they won gold.’ Like, you don’t think that I’m not invested in, first of all, USA, on any sport, I’m going to be tracking. And then like, if my coach is there and my two teammates, I’m dialed in, but people are just dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb,” she said.
The situation was more apparent in the timing of the NASCAR assignment. During the World Cup final, Cunningham wasn’t only playing basketball; she was actively participating in another significant athletic event.
She expressed how much the opportunity meant to her during the show, saying, “We’re here in Illinois with NASCAR. It’s been the best day of my entire life. I feel these are my people. I belong here. I’m wearing all-black; I got my leather on, boots on. I’m pulling out my Talladega nights, baby.”
Cunningham also had the chance to speak with fellow basketball legend Michael Jordan, who was present at the event as a co-owner of 23XI Racing, thanks to his NASCAR position.
In the meantime, Team USA was wrapping up one of the most successful campaigns in the women’s World Cup’s history. The Americans won their sixth World Cup in a row and their 12th overall after defeating France 97-79 in the championship match. The US’ World Cup winning run now stands at 36 games thanks to the victory.
Despite coming off the bench, Clark contributed significantly to the tournament. Boston mostly contributed through her defense, averaging 6.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game, while she averaged 7.8 points and a team-high 5.3 assists.
On the coaching staff, Indiana was represented as well. Stephanie White, the head coach of the Fever, assisted Kara Lawson, the head coach of Team USA.
Clark’s performance during a Fever practice was later commended by White.
She told the media, saying, “It was really great.”
“You could tell the way she was able to change the game with her pace…I thought her floor game was outstanding. I mean, the way that she got everybody involved was outstanding. And you could see her confidence continue to grow as the tournament progressed. And that shot that she hit right before halftime against France was a momentum-changing shot. She stepped up, and she knocked it down,” she added.
As Indiana gets ready for the latter stretch of the WNBA regular season, Cunningham provides an explanation. With four games left on the schedule, the Fever came into the final week with a 26-14 record and a guaranteed spot in the playoffs.
She obviously wishes to differentiate her decision from a lack of interest in Team USA, but her reasoning does not change the fact that she missed the live broadcast of the gold-medal game.
The message is clear to Cunningham: she was working at another athletic event, watched the outcome, and was fully aware of what had transpired. Her focus has shifted back to Indiana and the team’s remaining games as the Fever’s postseason drive draws near.
