"They said I flopped": Sophie Cunningham claps back after taking vicious elbow to the head from $80,823 Sun star

Sophie Cunningham wasted no time clapping back at those who accused her of flopping during the Indiana Fever's game against the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday. In the fourth quarter, Cunningham took a hard elbow to the back of her head from Olivia Nelson-Ododa.

Surprisingly, the official, who was standing just a few feet away, missed what appeared to be an obvious foul. Cunningham quickly got back on her feet and gestured to indicate she had been struck. After the game, she reacted to a replay that showed Nelson-Ododa, who’s on a $80,823 contract, landing the elbow squarely on her head.

"they said I flopped. el oh el," Cunningham tweeted.

Sophie Cunningham has a bit of a history when it comes to run-ins with Connecticut Sun players. In the Fever’s previous matchup against the Sun, she got into a heated altercation with Jacy Sheldon that ultimately led to her ejection from the game.

Despite the tension, Cunningham has been in strong form lately. Coming off the bench on Tuesday, the former Phoenix Mercury guard delivered another solid performance, scoring 11 points on an efficient 4-of-6 shooting, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. She also chipped in with three rebounds, one assist and three steals in 26 minutes.

Fans react to Sophie Cunningham getting elbowed by Olivia Nelson-Ododa

Social media erupted after a clip surfaced of Sophie Cunningham taking an elbow to the back of the head from Olivia Nelson-Ododa. Fans didn’t hold back, with many slamming the officials for missing what appeared to be an obvious foul.

A fan said:

Andy froemel

@FroemelAndy

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Sophie Cunningham getting killed out there. This league wants every player on the Fever injured.

Another fan said:

Drew_On_X

@DrewsOn_X

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The ref is standing right in front of the incident and doesn’t see the elbow to the side of the head? Jeeeesh @CathyEngelbert @WNBA

A user wrote:

Rhoda M

@RhodaMc10528882

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@CathyEngelbert what kind of refs allow this Elbow to the head..What kind of Commish of WNBA allows this every Nite..Pressure Building on you to act before amazing Injuries..Where did you get this Horrible refs

Another commented:

SportsGal2

@Sports99277Gal2

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@IndianaFever @AmberLCox @StephanieWhite Are you going to stand up for your players?! AB gets aggressively thrown down (could have torn her rotator cuff), SC takes an elbow to the head - both of which looked deliberate. I would be making some calls to Cathy!

Cunningham is expected to return to action on Wednesday night as the Fever take on the Eastern Conference-leading New York Liberty. With Caitlin Clark sidelined due to injury, Cunningham will carry an even greater load for the team.