Sophie Cunningham posing in team jerseySophie Cunningham (Photo via Instagram)
Sophie Cunningham can do no wrong.

Things got physical between the Indiana Fever and the Connecticut Sun in Tuesday’s matchup at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Caitlin Clark was involved in multiple incidents during the game, which included one in the third quarter that saw the Fever star get shoved to the ground right after she was hit in the eye.

Clark got poked in the eye by Connecticut guard Jacy Sheldon, which prompted a strong reaction from the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year. Once she pushed Sheldon off, Sun veteran Marina Mabrey came running in to push her.

Clark, Mabrey, and Sun center Tina Charles all received technical fouls, while Sheldon was assessed a flagrant foul for the eye poke.

Footage from the stands showed that Sophie Cunningham had to be held back from running on the court, but her time was coming.

 

Cunningham was ejected in the game’s final minute after her hard foul on Connecticut’s Jacy Sheldon was upgraded to a flagrant 2. It was a response to Sheldon’s flagrant 1 foul on Fever star Caitlin Clark.

Since the incident, Cunningham has gained an incredible following.

Someone recently pulled up her pictures from past years to compare them to the present day, and it shows just how much she has blossomed.

Sophie Cunningham Gaining Followers

Sophie Cunningham Stuns In Bold See-Through Look Ahead Of WNBA GameSophie Cunningham (Photo By Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Cunningham’s social media following has exploded. She now has 587,000 followers on Instagram.

She also has 727,000 followers on TikTok.

Houston Texans star Azeez Al-Shaair has admitted regrets over his illegal hit to Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the ensuing brawl between the teams in a lengthy statement on social media.  

Al-Shaair’s statement comes as his three-game suspension as a result of the incident has ended and he is slated to return to the field for the Texans on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

On December 1, an Al-Shaair hit to the head of a sliding and defenseless Lawrence caused chaos in Jacksonville. The defensive back needed to be restrained by several coaches and Lawrence has not played since taking the barbaric contact.

‘While so many jumped at the first opportunity to hop on the false narrative – that l’m a dirty player or bad person – the messages from all who stood by me were the only things keeping me mentally afloat during a time of isolation,’ Al-Shaair said on social media.

‘I’ve learned so much from this entire experience. Seeing myself on video – letting my emotions get the best of me to the point where I completely lost it – was an embarrassing and eye-opening moment for me.’

‘I’ve had to earn everything in my life. I never want to allow anyone to get me to a point where I jeopardize everything that I’ve worked all my life to obtain. That was not the way I want to represent myself or my family and I will continue to learn and grow from that moment.’

Azeez Al-Shaair has admitted regrets over his hit to Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence
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Azeez Al-Shaair has admitted regrets over his hit to Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence

The Texans defensive back was suspended for three games as a result of the hit to Lawrence
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The Texans defensive back was suspended for three games as a result of the hit to Lawrence

Al-Shaair said during his three-game ban, he met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and other league executives for the first time, taking issue with how he was characterized in the official announcement of his suspension.

The defender said he thought his character and integrity were ‘unjustifiably smeared’ in the release but the meeting with Goodell and others was ‘productive’ and gave him hope it would not happen again.

‘In that conversation – man-to-man – I owned and acknowledged that my actions following my ejection were careless and, in that moment, I didn’t think about the responsibility I have been blessed with to represent the shield,’ Al-Shaair continued.

‘I also stated that the letter, and specifically the language used in the letter, was equally as careless and conveyed that the context of the words used were not a reflection of my character, nor my career, as I have not been warned multiple times for my play on the field.’

Al-Shaair’s hit on Lawrence was not the only controversial incident he was involved in this season.

During the Texans’ game against the Bears in September, he punched Roschon Johnson, who wasn’t even in the game at the time of another sideline confrontation.

Al-Shaair ended his statement by saying his view is that everyone in the league office and on the field are on the same team to represent the NFL in the best nature possible, something he failed to do earlier this month.

‘Lastly, I’ll say that this world is full of negative people who can’t wait to tear you down, but if you move with love and compassion, the seeds of good you planted in others’ lives can grow into the very tree that shades you with comfort and compassion when you need it most,’ Al-Shaair concluded.

‘I am a man of God, I am a leader, a warrior and a lover. I am also a hell of a football player and I’m grateful to be back doing what I love.’