Sophie Cunningham and Caitlin Clark (Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images)
Sophie Cunningham’s decision to act as an enforcer/protector at the end of the Indiana Fever-Connecticut Sun game on June 17 may have resulted in a small fine. However, it appears that she’ll still profit off that thanks to a new endorsement deal.

Tensions boiled over during that Fever-Sun game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse two weeks ago. It started late in the third quarter when Caitlin Clark was poked in the eye by Jacy Sheldon, leading to a skirmish that culminated with technical foul calls on Clark, Tina Charles and Marina Mabrey. The officials also issued a flagrant 1 foul on Sheldon:

Things got even more heated in the fourth quarter when Sophie Cunningham put Jacy Sheldon in a chokehold as she was driving to the basket. Cunningham, Sheldon and Connecticut point guard Lindsay Allen were all ejected from the game:

Cunningham was handed a reported $400 fine for her flagrant 2 foul on Sheldon, but the decision to “protect” her Fever teammates has led to an endorsement deal with the Ring home security system company.

In a video shared on Instagram, Sophie Cunningham announced the partnership with Ring, stressing the importance of protecting one’s home as she did with her teammates:

“In light of recent events, you guys know how serious I am about protecting my girls on the court. But what’s protecting my home court, AKA my actual home? The obvious choice is Ring.”

It’s unclear how much Sophie Cunningham’s endorsement deal is with Ring, but it’s surely a lot more than the $400 fine she received from the WNBA. Plus, her decision to step in and protect Clark will only force other teams to think twice about roughing up Indiana’s franchise player.

Sophie Cunningham Is Making An Impact In FIrst Season With Indiana Fever

Sophie Cunningham (Photo By Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images)
In January, the Fever acquired Cunningham in a three-team deal with the Dallas Wings and Phoenix Mercury. Cunningham is seeing less playing time compared to her last three years in Phoenix, but the 28-year-old has nonetheless made a significant impact as the enforcer for Indiana.

It’s no secret that opposing players have been trying to rough up and agitate Clark with their physical defense. But things may change soon with Cunningham stepping in and warning other teams that if they want to go through Clark, they must go through her first.