Sophie Cunningham became famous when she showed WNBA fans she would do what officials often wouldn't: stand beside Indiana Fever guard and face of the league, Caitlin Clark.
The Indiana Fever guard's defining moment came in June 2025. Chicago Sky guard Jacy Sheldon, then playing for Connecticut, poked Clark in the eye during a rough confrontation.
Cunningham later delivered a hard foul on Sheldon, triggering a scuffle that ended with three ejections. She was fined and instantly recast as Indiana's enforcer. Cunningham has since accused the league and its referees of failing to protect Clark. From CBS Sports:
On the latest episode of her podcast, "Show Me Something," which was released Saturday, Cunningham gave her view on the situation. She explained why no one on the Fever reacted in the moment, then made strong accusations against both the league and the officials.
"During real time last night, I did not see that happen," Cunningham said. "None of our team saw it happen, because I promise you, if we would have seen that happen, we would have had [Clark's] back. Unfortunately, this type of shit happens every single game to [Clark], and the league and the refs do absolutely nothing about it."
"You see the videos of literally kneeing and cheap-shotting [Clark] in the throat," Cunningham continued. "If [Thomas] did that to any of our teammates, we'd be pissed. But they are definitely targeting [Clark], and the league and the refs do nothing to protect her."
Cunningham has previously been fined for comments she's made on her podcast -- as well as a TikTok she made -- and it would not be a surprise if the league dings her again here.
Her statistics don't fully explain the following. Cunningham is averaging 9.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists through 22 games in 2026. She's also shooting 49.3% from the floor and 43.5% from three-point range.
Those are strong numbers for a valuable guard, but they don't usually create national celebrity.
Clark introduced millions of fans to Cunningham. Loyalty, nerve, humor, and timing kept them watching. When Phoenix Mercury guard DeWanna Bonner confronted her in June, Cunningham answered by pointing and staring for 22 seconds.
The clip became a meme because Cunningham didn't look rehearsed; she looked entirely comfortable being herself.
Her fame has moved quickly beyond basketball. Cunningham made her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit debut in 2026 and became a studio analyst and contributor for USA Network's WNBA coverage.
At UFC 329, she asked UFC CEO Dana White whether she could carry a round card. Eight minutes later, she was circling the octagon.
“[We hired her] about eight minutes before she did it,” UFC CEO Dana White said with a laugh at the UFC 329 post-fight press conference. “I love Sophie Cunningham. We’ve created a relationship and she was here tonight.
“When she walked in she goes ‘I want to walk around that [octagon].’ I said then you’re going to walk around it. She’s fun.”
Cunningham, who plays for the Indiana Fever, gained a lot of notoriety after she joined the team in a trade and immediately became known as the “enforcer” when she avenged a dirty move perpetrated on her teammate Caitlin Clark during a game.
So Cunningham being a UFC fan shouldn’t be a total surprise but rather than fighting, she decided to play octagon girl for at least one night only.
WNBA star Sophie Cunningham was the guest ring card girl for the #UFC329 co-main event between Paddy Pimblett and Benoit Saint Denis pic.twitter.com/4AZdezGiSX
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) July 12, 2026
The following night, she scored 20 points and made six three-pointers against the Las Vegas Aces.
Claims that Cunningham owns the WNBA's second-best-selling jersey have spread online, but neither the league nor Fanatics has released verified figures supporting an exact rank.
Her merchandise page labels several products “Most Popular,” and the demand surrounding her is obvious.
Conservatives naturally see something familiar in Cunningham's appeal. She's feminine without apology, physically tough, loyal to her friends, funny, and unwilling to shrink herself for critics.
Oh, and did I mention she's a straight woman playing in a lesbian league?
Actress and model Sydney Sweeney drew a similar response after her American Eagle jeans campaign became a political fight.
Neither woman invited strangers to define her politics.
Cunningham has pushed back on the “MAGA Barbie” label, calling herself politically “right in the middle,” and says she agrees and disagrees with both parties. From Heavy.com:
Some WNBA fans have used the moniker of “MAGA Barbie” to assume Cunningham’s support of President Donald Trump.
Cunningham gave her first comment to the New York Times about the nickname that has existed for a few years:
“I’m clearly white and from Missouri, and so I think there was a lot of assumption there. All I have to say is I really am right in the middle, and I think a lot of America is like that. In our culture today you have to choose and you have to be an extremist, and that’s just not me. So, I agree with things on both sides; I disagree with things on both sides.”
The quote saw Cunningham trying her hardest to avoid getting attached to any political party during a time where tension is high in the United States over politics. Teammate Caitlin Clark has deal with the same issue of fans and media trying to figure out her political affiliation.
Conservatives should take her at her word: admiring qualities common on the right doesn't give anyone ownership of her beliefs.
Left-wing activists and media personalities will be tempted to reduce Cunningham to a stereotype, attack the stereotype, and pressure sponsors to retreat. Conservatives can make their own mistake by assigning views she hasn't expressed. Both approaches erase the woman at the center of her story.
Her stardom is hers; Clark helped bring the audience, but Cunningham supplied the reason it stayed.
Fans saw a teammate who acts when others hesitate, laughs when critics scold, and refuses to become smaller for public comfort.
The WNBA may never have planned to create Sophie Cunningham as a star, so she created herself.
