Eagles’ A.J. Dillon Praises Sophie Cunningham as New Favorite WNBA Player for Protecting Caitlin Clark

Philadelphia Eagles running back A.J. Dillon has a new favorite WNBA player, and it’s not the widely celebrated Caitlin Clark. Instead, it’s Clark’s teammate, Sophie Cunningham, who has captured Dillon’s admiration with her fierce loyalty and on-court grit.

In a recent interview, Dillon shared his newfound fandom for Cunningham, sparked by her protective stance during a heated game moment. When Clark faced a rough foul, Cunningham didn’t hesitate to retaliate with a flagrant foul of her own, leading to a court scrum and ejections. For Dillon, this was a display of true team spirit. “She’s protecting her star player, just like we’d protect our quarterback,” he remarked, drawing parallels to how his Eagles teammates would defend Jalen Hurts.

Dillon’s respect for Cunningham grew so much that he purchased her jersey—rumored to be out of stock—and proudly shared the moment on social media. He even plans to debut the jersey in style on the 4th of July while out on a boat. “I like that toughness, not letting anyone push your teammates around,” he added, applauding her approach to the game.

The incident that ignited this admiration unfolded when Clark was poked in the eye and pushed to the floor during a game against the Connecticut Sun. Cunningham’s hard foul in response was her way of standing up for her teammate, later telling reporters, “I’m going to protect my teammates. That’s what I do.” She also pointed to a broader issue, criticizing the league for not doing enough to shield its star players.

For Dillon, and now many fans, Cunningham represents the kind of player who embodies loyalty and toughness—qualities that resonate deeply on and off the court.