"I just like Caitlin" - Sophie Cunningham spills the truth on fondness for Caitlin Clark as her proximity with Fever superstar grows

There's no secret that Sophie Cunningham became an online sensation after standing up for Caitlin Clark on the court earlier in the season. Cunningham has been accused of riding Clark's wave of popularity, but she retaliated by spilling the truth about her relationship with her Fever teammate.

Speaking on the latest episode of her "Show Me Something" podcast with West Wilson, Cunningham responded to Skip Bayless' remarks about her clout chasing. She said she understood what Bayless and other people are saying, especially after securing numerous brand deals following her viral moment as an enforcer for Clark.

However, the Missouri product was adamant that she always had her teammates back, and it just so happened that Clark was popular. She has nothing bad to say about Clark, praising her for bringing in millions of eyes to women's basketball.

"People like Skip and others like, 'Oh, she's just tagging,'" Cunningham said (Timestamp- 23:46 onwards). "No, I actually just like Caitlin, and I'm just being real and truthful that she has brought millions. I wouldn't be surprised if it's billions of eyes onto the W and onto women's sports."

Sophie Cunningham even compared Caitlin Clark to Kobe Bryant in terms of impact on and off the court, as well as to Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird for women's basketball. Cunningham further praised Angel Reese for bringing in her fans and putting the game in the spotlight.

The Indina Fever star also has another message to the people calling her a clout chaser (Timestamp- 24:35 onwards):

"I'm just not naive, and I might be blonde, but I'm not f***ing dumb. So, people who's saying I'm a clout chaser, no. I'm just being honest about why the league is where it is at. Like, give the girls the flowers."

Cunningham is currently recovering from right knee surgery and has been ruled out of the season. She suffered a torn MCL after colliding with Bria Hartley of the Connecticut Sun last month.

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Sophie Cunningham provides timeline of her recovery

In the same podcast episode, Sophie Cunningham gave her recovery timeline from her injury. Cunningham was told that she could be back in just four months, so she'll be good to go around January or February.

The 29-year-old forward even feels confident about returning early, though she's comfortable with her four-month timeline. She's set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season, though her popularity with the Indiana Fever fans makes it hard to see the franchise letting her walk.