Sophie Cunningham might not be Indiana’s sweetheart, but she comes a close second to Caitlin Clark, courtesy of her commitment to defend the Indiana Fever guard at all costs. Over the course of the season, she has grown quite a bit on the fans, and given her interactions with them, she reciprocates the love and loyalty. That said, this loyalty doesn’t necessarily extend beyond basketball.
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Having been born in Columbia, Missouri, and studied at the University of Missouri, she grew up being a fan of the Kansas City Chiefs, and to date, remains so. By her admission, she’s been a fan of the team since ‘coming out of the womb.’ Earlier this year, in fact, she received an invitation from Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce to visit their restaurant in Kansas City.
Being in Indiana, Cunningham has been spotted supporting the Pacers during their playoff run and joining fellow Fever stars in cheering the home team. That said, Cunningham claims that she is not opposed to showing love to Colts either, as she always tries to immerse herself in the culture of whatever state or town she’s in.
“I will definitely go and check out the Colts. I don’t have any beef with them. But I think deep down, I will always have my team, which is the Chiefs. But I am so down to go and support the team (Colts). I am all for that. I am not weird about that,” she said.
West Wilson, Cunningham’s podcast co-host and childhood friend, then spoke to her about Jayson Tatum, who, while playing for the Boston Celtics, doesn’t show any sense of loyalty to their NFL team, the Red Sox. He is a St. Louis Cardinals fans through and through and has been seen donning their jersey and other merchandise on occasion.
Cunningham made it a point to reiterate that, while is not as hardcore as Tatum, she is and will always remain a Chiefs fan. “I am not shy. Everyone knows I am a huge Chiefs fan. Like if Colts and Chiefs are playing, Chiefs all the way. But will I go and support the Colts for a game? Yeah!”
Cunningham further explained her love for everything about the Chiefs by revealing how, while she was playing for the Phoenix Mercury, she went to an Arizona Cardinals game and couldn’t help but compare the facilities to the Chiefs’ home ground, the Arrowhead. “Maybe I am a lot more hardcore than I think,” she concluded, laughing.
The Arrowhead is one of the best NFL stadiums, both in terms of infrastructure as well as the fanbase. For the Cardinals to compete with the same is a big ask. While the Colts won’t play the Chiefs at home, it won’t be a surprise if Sophie shows up at the Arrowhead when they do clash on November 23rd.
