Sophie Cunningham Responds to Critics After Block Celebration Goes Viral

The Indiana Fever won their first home game of the season on Sunday against the Seattle Storm, with Caitlin Clark leading the way with a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double.

However, Clark had help, with backcourt teammate Kelsey Mitchell scoring 17 points, and Sophie Cunningham adding 17 points off the bench in the 89-78 win.

Cunningham, who signed a new deal to play with the Fever this season, also had three rebounds and one block during her time on the court, and the blocked shot became a talking point.

It occurred in the game’s second quarter, as Mackenzie Holmes received a pass in the paint and attempted to go up for a quick shot. However, Cunningham quickly reacted, jumping up to meet her and swatting the shot away cleanly.

More news: Dave Portnoy Rips WNBA for Lack of Caitlin Clark Promotion

The Fever star showed excitement after the play, as she had a big smile and put her hands up in the air to celebrate after the highlight block.

The clip went viral after the Fever shared it on X with “nice block Soph.” As of this writing, it has accumulated 1.3M views since being uploaded to the platform.

It also drew a variety of reactions, ranging from those appreciating Cunningham having fun in the moment to others criticizing her for celebrating the block. However, the Fever star fired back with a response to those critics.

“HAHAHA ‘act like you’ve been there before’….. okay but the last I did this was against my 2 year old niece. LET ME LIVE!!!!” Cunningham wrote in an X message for her critics.

She’s been in the league since 2019, spending her first six seasons with the Phoenix Mercury before officially joining Caitlin Clark and the Fever last season. Cunningham quickly became known as an “enforcer” due to having teammates’ backs after opponents took them down with hard fouls.

Last season, officials ejected her from the Fever’s game against the Connecticut Sun after taking down Sun guard Jacy Sheldon and drawing a flagrant 2 foul. That occurred in response to Sheldon poking the Fever’s Clark in the eye earlier in the game, and then, the Suns’ Marina Mabrey shoved Clark to the ground.

It’s not the first block of her career, as she’s recorded 49, including three seasons with 10 or more. However, this was her first blocked shot of the Fever’s season and part of their first home win.

Players in the NBA and NFL often celebrate scoring and defensive plays, so why not the WNBA? It seems Cunningham was extra excited about that moment, especially since she had a better game off the bench than she had all season, helping her team to a 2-2 record early in the season.

More news:Angel Reese Hit With Harsh Criticism for ‘Great Player' Comment Before Loss

For more about the Indiana Fever and WNBA, head over to Newsweek Sports.

2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

This story was originally published May 18, 2026 at 8:07 PM.