Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark has faced online backlash after standing with her hands behind her back during the national anthem before a game against the Atlanta Dream.
Fan footage recorded prior to Sunday night's contest showed teammate Sophie Cunningham as the only Indiana player to perform the patriotic gesture of placing her hand over her heart while facing the American flag during The Star-Spangled Banner.
The Indiana Fever went on to win the game 95-91 in overtime. Clark scored 26 points to lead her team to victory over Angel Reese's Dream, but video of her pregame stance quickly ignited debate across social media platforms.
Clark stood directly behind Cunningham in the line, holding her hands behind her back while facing the flag. While fans praised Cunningham as a patriot, Clark drew a wave of criticism online for not following suit.
A video clip circulated on social media platform X with the caption: "Sophie Cunningham stood with her hand over her heart for the entire National Anthem. Caitlin Clark didn’t. The Atlanta Dream couldn’t even be bothered to come out for it. Absolutely disrespectful. This entire league is trash at this point. Thank God for Sophie Cunningham."
The user who uploaded the video, Gina Milan (@ginamilan_), later commented on another post, declaring of Cunningham: "She's a patriot."
Social media reaction to anthem posture
When another social media user defended the Indiana roster by stating that "this is how athletes notoriously stand for the anthem before the game," the original poster rejected the explanation.
"Giving excuses to 24 year olds for not putting their hand over their heart during the national anthem is disrespectful and I’ll stand by that," the user wrote. "You were either raised right or you weren’t. Stop giving excuses to entitled brats."
The footage prompted a wave of negative comments directed at Clark and the Women's National Basketball Association. One fan commented: "Sophie Cunningham is the only good thing about the WNBA. Will support her but done with everything else."
Another commenter pointed out federal standards regarding anthem decorum: "The U.S. Government Information guidelines suggest that civilians stand at attention, face the flag, and place their right hand over their heart. The code uses the word "should" instead of "shall," which means it is advisory and not legally binding or enforceable."
That observation was quickly dismissed by another user, who responded: "Don't care. It's disgraceful."
Critique of the star guard continued to mount in online discussions. One fan claimed Clark is "turning into a joke," while another warned of financial repercussions, writing: "So disrespectful. Just hurting their revenue going forward. Of course they don’t realize it."
One post addressed Clark directly, asking: "Why not @CaitlinClark22??? Do you hate America too? Be more like Sophie. I hope your parents taught you better."
Another online viewer expressed disappointment, writing: "I’m surprised Caitlin didn’t! I’m pretty sure she owes a lot to the United States of America!"
Other comments singled out Cunningham for praise while targeting Clark. "Cunningham is the only decent player! Clark is too busy pandering," one user stated.
A separate spectator called for a boycott of the games: "Every person in the building that paid to watch them play should have walked out of that arena as soon as the anthem was over. The reason that players keep disrespecting our country is because we continue to support them in it."
Another critical poster declared: "I wouldn’t watch a game if you paid me... The entire league embodies the woke mentality. Done with Caitlin Clark too. What a pathetic sellout."
Defense of Clark and Team USA background
Despite the anger, several fans stepped forward to defend Clark and her teammates. One user noted that standing at attention without placing a hand on the chest has long been customary.
"The hand over the heart is a newer phenomenon and can sometimes be perceived as performative," the user wrote. "Prior to the Trump year's, standing up straight in a respectful manner with your hat off worked just fine."
Another supporter emphasized that Clark's conduct remained respectful throughout the performance. "Caitlin Clark and several other teammates stood respectfully, although yes, Sophie was the only one with her hand on heart," the fan noted, adding: "Props to Sophie."
The same user recalled that Clark referred to playing for Team USA during the summer as a "tremendous honor," concluding: "No need to harp on Caitlin. She’s a proud American."
The WNBA, founded in 1996 as the premier professional women's basketball league in the United States, has seen significant growth in audience interest and attendance, driven in part by high-profile players including Clark and Cunningham.
Sophie Cunningham and recent political debate
Cunningham has also become a focal point of political discussion in recent weeks after speaking out about trans athletes in women's sports.
The Indiana player celebrated her 30th birthday last week. Just hours after Indiana beat the Dallas Wings on Friday night, she displayed her patriotism off the court when she was filmed climbing atop the bar at Clayton's Country Bar in Indianapolis and singing along to Toby Keith's classic "Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue."
