Sophie Cunningham detailed the heated sequence that led to her viral pointing moment during Indiana’s season. She said DeWanna Bonner’s provocation flipped the exchange after Caitlin Clark received a technical, tying the incident to the chippiness that followe
Sophie Cunningham’s pointing meme didn’t start with one moment—it started with a chain of irritation that spilled from the floor into the air.
On Saturday night. the Indiana Fever put the drama aside with a 111-87 win over LA on June 27. securing their 11th win of the season. But earlier in the week. Cunningham had already become the focus of a viral clip. and in a recent podcast episode she explained what happened right before she made that gesture.
Cunningham pointed to DeWanna Bonner as the spark. “Really [DeWanna Bonner] is the one that did something extra then Caitlin got the tech. so I walked out there and literally talking to the ref. ” Cunningham said via Show Me Something. In her telling, the frustration wasn’t just what was called—it was what wasn’t. “…I was like now Caitlin got one but why didn’t she get one?. Because if Caitlin’s gonna get one then she should have got one. It shouldn’t have been one or the other.”.
The context matters because Cunningham’s meme wasn’t a random glare toward the camera. It came from a heated exchange she had earlier with Bonner.
On June 22, in Indiana’s 86-77 win over Phoenix, Cunningham and Bonner pointed at each other for an extended stretch. Cunningham said her facial expression played a role in how intense the moment looked in the clip. “I was just kind of pointing and she’s like ‘don’t you point at me’ and I was like ope shouldn’t have said that. ” Cunningham said before making the same pointing gesture again. “And I didn’t say a word.”.
That back-and-forth didn’t exist in a vacuum. The altercation between Bonner and Clark came after an earlier fight that led to penalties and an ejection. Ultimately, five players received technical fouls, and Myisha Hines-Allen was ejected shortly afterward.
The Fever’s irritation didn’t fade after the whistles either. The chippiness carried into the next game, and Cunningham said Fever players did not see what happened to Caitlin Clark. Clark received a cheap shot from Alyssa Thomas, which ended up resulting in a one-game suspension for Thomas. Cunningham added that if the Fever players had seen it happen on the court. they would have gone to Clark’s defense once again.
By the time Indiana faced LA on June 27, the message from the scoreboard was simple—move on and keep winning. The Fever got it done with that 111-87 victory, and now the schedule shifts to what comes next.
Next for Indiana is a road game against the Aces, tipping off at 7PM ET on Sunday, July 5.
Sophie Cunningham Indiana Fever viral pointing meme DeWanna Bonner Caitlin Clark Myisha Hines-Allen Alyssa Thomas WNBA Phoenix LA Aces
So she pointed and then somehow Caitlin got a tech? Seems like refs just pick a person and run with it.
Why is everyone acting like the meme is the story lol. It literally says Bonner provoked it and then Clark gets the tech. Ref missed something and now we all watching drama clips.
I don’t get it… the article says Cunningham didn’t say a word after Bonner said not to point, but then it’s still her “viral pointing moment.” Like if she didn’t do anything then why’s it trending? Maybe people just wanted a reason to hate on Bonner.
This league is always “chippy” and everybody’s surprised. If Fever players “did not see” what happened to Clark, how are they not watching the game? Also Alyssa Thomas suspension?? I swear refs just do whatever makes the headlines, and the memes are gonna keep coming.