Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham are in the middle of another demanding WNBA season with the Indiana Fever, but the two stars recently took a moment to reflect on where their basketball journeys began.
Their stories were featured in the latest episode of “The Court Is Hers,” a campaign presented by Eli Lilly and Company in partnership with the Fever and YMCA of Greater Indianapolis. The initiative was created to increase girls’ participation in basketball by removing financial barriers to youth programs.
In a clip posted by the Fever, Clark and Cunningham, together with their teammates, discussed their first basketball hoops and the people who supported them growing up.
Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Clark said her parents were her biggest supporters, while also crediting her brothers.
“My biggest supporters growing up were definitely my parents and also probably my brothers even though they picked on me a lot but they also were my biggest fans too,” Clark said.
Cunningham recalled going through several hoops as a child, including one that was destroyed by a tornado and another with a “rowdy old net” that eventually gave way to a makeshift hoop at her house. She joked that shooting at the small square helped develop her accuracy.
The Fever stars also shared advice for young athletes. Clark encouraged kids to explore different interests rather than specializing too early
“Try whatever it is. You’ll find out what you like. You’ll get to meet a lot of different new people.”
She added that she tried different sports and musical instruments growing up and urged young people to enjoy the experience rather than take everything too seriously.
Cunningham had a similar message centered on effort and enjoyment.
“Be a great, great teammate. That is the most important thing. Remember to work hard. Be the hardest worker on your team. And at the end of the day, enjoy it. Smile.”
The Court Is Hers launched in Indianapolis in 2025 with Lilly, the Fever and the YMCA working to expand access to girls’ basketball. The program waives registration fees for girls’ YMCA basketball programs, addressing some of the financial barriers that can prevent young athletes from participating.
