"fafo": Injured Sophie Cunningham stirs the pot once again with emphatic reaction to brawl with Jacy Sheldon

Sophie Cunningham continues to troll Washington Mystics guard Jacy Sheldon. A week ago, a fan asked the Indiana Fever star to sign a Sheldon basketball card. Cunningham obliged by writing “property of” on the cover before adding her signature.

On Tuesday, a clip of the Cunningham-Sheldon scuffle in mid-June stirred social media again. The feisty Fever guard responded to the video on X (formerly Twitter) with an emphatic message:

“… some of us were raised by the words of ‘don’t bite off more than you can chew,’ and some of us didn’t. ‘Fafo.’”

The controversial play happened on June 17 when the Indiana Fever hosted the Connecticut Sun. Jacy Sheldon, then with the Sun, poked Fever superstar Caitlin Clark in the eye. Late in the fourth quarter, Sophie Cunningham introduced her role as the Fever enforcer by grabbing Sheldon on the shoulders before pushing her to the floor.

Sheldon quickly stood up to go after Cunningham, who fended off her opponent by locking Sheldon’s head with both hands. Players and the coaching staff from both teams arrived in time to prevent the incident from escalating. Cunningham, Sheldon and Sun guard Lindsay Allen were all thrown out of the game.

Fans react to Sophie Cunningham’s message to Jacy Sheldon

The controversial play and Sophie Cunningham’s popularity on social media quickly made the Fever star’s comment viral. Fans promptly reacted to her message:

“It was about damn time! Someone showed some backbone! Thank you for what you did!”

One fan said:

Another fan added:

One more fan continued:

Another fan said:

Cunningham’s enforcer role could be put on hold after she suffered a knee injury against the Sun on Sunday. The former Phoenix Mercury star limped to the locker room after Connecticut guard Bria Hartley fell on Cunningham’s knee.

Lindsey Cunningham, Sophie’s sister, blasted the injury-causing play by urging the WNBA to protect its players. A fan who did not like the message brought up the Cunningham-Sheldon fracas. The Fever star reacted by trolling the post and Sheldon at the same time.

The injury to Cunningham is another crucial setback that has hampered the Fever all season long. Point guards Aari McDonald (foot) and Sydney Colson (ACL) are already starting their rehab. Fever coach Stephanie White is hopeful Caitlin Clark returns, but the team has no fixed timetable for a return.

While the Fever has not issued a statement on Sophie Cunningham’s status, the star guard remains engaged on social media.

About the author

Michael Macasero brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his coverage of basketball at Sportskeeda with over 18 years of diverse work experience. This includes stints at Convergys, Interpace and RunRepeat.

Michael's background in English and Journalism has provided him with the analytical skills and precision necessary for creating content, and he is a lifelong fan of the Boston Celtics. His favorite players include legends like Larry Bird and Michael Jordan, modern stars like Tim Duncan, and Nikola Jokic, as well as emerging talent like Victor Wembanyama.

Michael respects Gregg Popovich, despite his contentious demeanor in interviews, and recognizes Popovich's genius in adapting his coaching style to maximize the talent on his roster over the years. Michael eagerly anticipates seeing how Popovich will structure the offense around emerging talent like Victor Wembanyama.

Understanding the story and details is crucial to Michael's reporting philosophy and he believes overlooking details, particularly when pressed for time, can lead to misunderstandings and inaccurate conclusions.

Aside from work, Michael's children are his hobbies, and he also likes to go running, swimming and weightlifting.

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Edited by Michael Macasero