Sophie Cunningham
Image credit - Flickr/John McClellan
Sophie Cunningham has never been shy about backing her teammate. But even by her standards, the comparison she agreed to on air this week was a lot to sign off on.
Colin Cowherd put the question to her directly, asking whether Caitlin Clark carries “*Jordan’s ascension, Curry’s game, and Larry Bird’s personality.*” Cunningham didn’t hesitate.
“No, I don’t think you are. I think that Larry Bird honestly might have a little bit more sass,” Cunningham said. “*Caitlin is just her own, her own personality, like especially off the court.*”
“She’s got Jordan’s ascension, Curry’s game & Bird’s personality”
@colincowherd @ @sophaller on Caitlin Clark https://t.co/e5QvYVeQ9E
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) September 11, 2026
That’s the split Cunningham drew. On the floor, Clark gets compared to three Hall of Famers. Off it, according to her own teammate, she’s about as ordinary as it gets.
“She loves to sit on the couch, she loves to watch TV. She’s very simple,” Cunningham said. “*It’s been a blessing that she has been in our league.*”
Clark’s 2026 numbers make the flattering half of the comparison easier to defend. She’s averaging 22.5 points per game on career-high shooting splits, including 45.6 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from three. Indiana has already clinched a playoff spot at 26-14, and Clark’s efficiency has only sharpened as the postseason approaches.
Cunningham was Clark’s teammate through her limited 13-game season in 2025, so she’s watched this jump up close. Her praise wasn’t limited to the box score, either. She pointed to something bigger than stats when explaining why Clark’s presence has mattered so much.
“We can be thankful for the people who came before us, but you can also witness greatness and say that she is great and she has done so much for our sport right now,” Cunningham said.
Sophie Cunningham Isn’t Waiting For Permission To Say It
This isn’t the first time a national voice has reached for a legendary name to describe Clark. Cowherd made a similar comparison in late August, calling her “Steph Curry but with a Michael Jordan mindset” after she became the first player in league history with five career 30-point, 10-assist games. The framing keeps changing. The instinct to reach for basketball’s biggest names does not.
Cunningham also made clear she’s aware not everyone is comfortable with that instinct.
“I don’t know why people are so reluctant to give her flowers,” Cunningham said. “*And maybe it is that Midwest mentality that people don’t like, but shit, I love it. I’m from Missouri, so I’m like, hey, bring it on sister. So I’m a big fan.*”
That’s the part of Cunningham’s take that carries more weight than the Jordan-Curry-Bird framing itself. Legendary comparisons get made and forgotten all the time. What sticks is a teammate willing to say, on the record, that the hesitation around crediting Clark is its own story.
Indiana’s playoff push will settle plenty of that debate. If Clark keeps producing at this level into October, the comparisons stop being a talking point and start being a track record. Cunningham clearly isn’t waiting around to find out which one it becomes.