“So many ways to insult black ppl”: Olivia Nelson-Ododa fed up after Sophie Cunningham’s foul clip sparks ugly WNBA discourse

Connecticut Sun center Olivia Nelson-Ododa called out alleged racism after a video of her fouling Sophie Cunningham went viral on social media. The video posted by @HeavenFX on X appears to show Nelson-Ododa hitting the Indiana Fever star on the head with her elbow. However, the refs refused to call it a foul.

During a Fever possession, Cunningham, who was in the corner, quickly rushed toward the free-throw line to set a screen on Nelson-Ododa, who was guarding Aliyah Boston. The Sun star saw Cunningham making a move and raised her elbow, hitting the Fever player on the head.

After the video went viral, Nelson-Ododa read the comments section and was flabbergasted by the apparent racism from WNBA fans.

"nahhhhh I didn’t realize there were so many ways to insult black ppl before reading the comments 😩😩😩😩😅😅," she wrote.

The Indiana Fever defeated the Sun by 85-77. Connecticut has now lost 13 of its last 14 games, and two against the Fever.

The Connecticut Sun center had six points, one assist and five rebounds in 20 minutes. After 22 games this season, the Sun have won just three and sit at the bottom.

Sophie Cunningham reacts to Olivia Nelson-Ododa's foul video

Sophie Cunningham has become one of the leaders on the Fever roster. From protecting her teammates and standing up for them to celebrating great moments with them, Cunningham has been leading the Fever's hype train.

However, perhaps the best part of Cunningham's game is her raw tenacity and the heart to play in the toughest situations. After the video of Olivia Nelson-Ododa went viral on social media, Sophie Cunningham revealed what the game officials told her when she pleaded.

"they said I flopped. el oh el," Cunningham tweeted.

This is the second consecutive time Cunningham has been the highlight of the Fever's game against the Sun. The last time they squared off, she was involved in an ugly on-court brawl with Jacy Sheldon. During a play, when Sheldon was driving toward the basket, Cunningham pulled her off the court.

Earlier in the game, Sheldon had accidentally poked Caitlin Clark's eye, who was later pushed on the court by Marina Mabrey.

Notably, a petition to fire Cunningham was also being circulated online, asking fans for their signatures.

Edited by Alvin Amansec