Rumors, Reactions, and Ridiculousness: The Internet Can’t Stop Shipping Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham—But Here’s What’s Really Going On

The bond between Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham has become one of the most talked-about new dynamics in the WNBA this season—and not just because of their play on the court. The two Indiana Fever teammates have developed a fast friendship that has fans raising eyebrows, making memes, and, in true internet fashion, creating their own narratives.

It all started shortly after Sophie Cunningham was traded from the Phoenix Mercury to the Indiana Fever during the offseason. It was a savvy move by the Fever front office—Cunningham brings toughness, shooting, and veteran grit to a young squad built around Caitlin Clark’s historic rookie spotlight. But it didn’t take long for Cunningham to go viral—not for a clutch shot or lockdown defense, but for simply existing next to Clark in a now-infamous video clip.

In the clip, Clark appears to be eyeing Cunningham during warmups—whether it was admiration, a wandering gaze, or just an awkward pause caught at the wrong time is still being debated. But Twitter (or X, if you insist) wasted no time. Within hours, memes exploded, fan edits appeared, and the hashtag #ClarkCunningham began to trend.

Some fans joked that Caitlin was treating Sophie like “eye candy.” Others went a step further, suggesting the two might be more than friends. It was classic internet behavior—take one moment, completely blow it out of proportion, and meme it into an entirely new storyline. Of course, there’s just one problem: there’s absolutely zero romantic connection between the two women.

Caitlin Clark has been in a stable relationship with Connor McCaffery, the former Iowa basketball player and current Indiana Pacers staffer, for more than two years. Their relationship is well-documented, lowkey but solid. Sophie Cunningham, while currently single, has made it clear through her social media that she’s looking for a man, not a teammate.

And yet, none of this stopped the rumors from snowballing. When a ship starts sailing online, facts rarely slow it down.

What did pour gasoline on the fire, however, was a cheeky response from Sophie herself. After one viral post accused Caitlin of “checking her out,” Sophie quote-posted the image with a now-infamous line: “@CaitlinClark22 fix your face 😂”

That five-word tweet sparked even more speculation. Was Cunningham just trolling? Was it an inside joke between two close friends? Or—depending on who you ask—was it a coded message to either shut down or validate the romantic rumors?

The truth, like most things in pro sports, is probably a lot more boring than the memes.

Most likely, Sophie was doing what Sophie does best: being funny, a little bit mischievous, and totally aware of the moment. Fans of Cunningham already know she has a reputation for being playful, brash, and totally unafraid to mix it up, on and off the court. She’s the kind of athlete who can take a narrative, twist it, and send it right back into the world with just the right amount of chaos.

As for Clark, she didn’t respond publicly—which, for anyone paying attention, is her usual M.O. She’s laser-focused on her game and has been careful about which battles to pick online. And right now, she has more pressing issues than gossip columns—namely, getting healthy again.

Clark is currently sidelined with a quadriceps strain and won’t be eligible to return until at least June 9. It’s her first significant injury in the pros, and while not considered serious, the timing couldn’t be worse for a Fever team still trying to find its rhythm and chemistry amid a brutal early-season schedule.

Cunningham, meanwhile, suffered a sprained ankle in a matchup against the Connecticut Sun on Friday. Her status is officially “day-to-day,” though Fever insiders have hinted she might miss at least one more game.

The injuries have temporarily paused the duo’s on-court antics, but the off-court chatter shows no sign of slowing down.

Some fans have even begun creating fantasy scenarios around a hypothetical “power couple” made up of the two athletes, writing fan fiction and curating entire TikTok pages dedicated to the Clark–Cunningham “ship.” It’s a bizarre, humorous, and oddly endearing side effect of the WNBA’s growing popularity and social media’s thirst for viral content.

But it also points to something deeper happening in women’s sports—especially in the Caitlin Clark era.

With the explosion of visibility around women’s basketball, every moment is magnified. Every look, every hug, every tweet becomes potential headline fodder. In a league that’s still fighting for parity in coverage, this kind of attention—whether flattering or absurd—at least signals that people are watching. That people care.

Clark and Cunningham’s playful camaraderie is just the latest example of how fan culture around the WNBA is evolving. Today’s athletes aren’t just athletes—they’re personalities, brands, and characters in a bigger narrative that lives across TikTok, Instagram, and ESPN all at once. And fans, now more than ever, want stories. Whether it’s rivalry, romance, redemption, or raw emotion, they’re hungry for drama that extends beyond the stat sheet.

Of course, that can sometimes go too far. Athletes are human, and being shipped with someone you’re not romantically involved with—especially in a very public, meme-driven way—can be uncomfortable. So far, neither Clark nor Cunningham have shown signs of irritation. If anything, they seem to be rolling with it, aware that the spotlight comes with some weird shadows.

But if the situation ever crossed a line, fans would do well to remember that respecting boundaries matters more than chasing likes.

Until then, it’s safe to say that Sophie Cunningham is going to keep trolling, Caitlin Clark is going to keep hooping (once healthy), and Fever fans are going to keep analyzing every sideline smirk and pregame glance like it’s an episode of The Bachelor.

Just don’t expect a rose ceremony anytime soon.

Because in the end, this is what friendship often looks like between two strong, confident, competitive women—authentic, playful, and maybe a little bit chaotic. And for a league hungry for viral attention and cultural buzz, it might just be the perfect storm.