Sophie Cunningham is the opposite of most WNBA players. And that’s why she is a megastar | Bobby Burack

WNBA guard Sophie Cunningham is a megastar.

Of course it is. He’s charming, funny, charismatic and relentlessly positive.

Cunningham will reportedly sign an exclusive shoe deal with Adidas. She worked as a ring girl at UFC 329 over the weekend.

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Some segments of the WNBA community are uncomfortable with Cunningham’s popularity. Critics suggest he is a role player whose on-field performance alone does not justify this level of fame.

Maybe not.

But marketability is not an athletic competition. It’s a popularity contest. From a WNBA perspective, Cunningham wins this contest.

The WNBA entered the mainstream in 2024 with the arrival of Cunningham’s Fever teammate Caitlin Clark. For many players, Clark’s debut was their first real introduction to a national audience.

But instead of using that attention to win over new fans, players like Angel Reese, Chennedy Carter, DiJonai Carrington and Alyssa Thomas projected anger and hostility toward the league’s biggest attraction.

They made themselves part of the story through hard fouls, cheap shots and social media images directed at Clark. This was their first impression.

Reese reinforced that perception by supporting allegations of widespread racial abuse that the WNBA later said it could not prove. Others flocked to social media to portray themselves as victims of online harassment.

It quickly became clear that many WNBA players were extremely unlikeable. They were seen as catlike, tough and racist. The same players who put fists and nails into Clark’s body would often claim victimization days later. The more attention Clark brought to the league, the more the players tarnished his public image.

Then there was Sophie Cunningham.

UFC CEO Dana White poses with the Indiana Fever’s Sophie Cunningham after the Fever’s 109-75 victory over the Las Vegas Aces at Michelob ULTRA Arena on July 12, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nev. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

After nearly two seasons of WNBA players targeting Clark, Cunningham stepped in last June. Marina Mabrey of Connecticut pushed Clark to the ground. Jacy Sheldon then attacked Clark in the face. Although officials showed little interest in restoring order or protecting the league’s biggest star, Cunningham responded by placing Sheldon on the court.

After the game, Cunningham made it clear that targeting his teammates would have consequences.

“I don’t focus on extracurricular activities,” Cunningham said. “It was just part of the game at the time. I think the referees had a lot to do with it. There was a build-up of not protecting the WNBA’s star player for several years. And so, at the end of the day, I’m going to protect my teammates.”

Cunningham has since had one of the best-selling jerseys in the WNBA.

In a league full of mean girls and self-proclaimed victims, Cunningham emerges as the girl next door with a black belt in taekwondo. She looks like a supermodel, but she’s also the person you want by your side if things go wrong.

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While other white players in the league largely adapted to the racial and sexual activism increasingly expected of them, Cunningham defended Clark and acknowledged the obvious impact he had on the sport.

“It literally pisses me off when people say, ‘He’s not the face of the league.’ Who would he be? … When people try to argue that he’s not the face of our league or that our league would be where it is without him, you’re an idiot —.”

She’s tough, beautiful, and not afraid to tell the truth. It sounds simple. But those qualities have become extremely rare in the WNBA.

You’ll never hear people like Paige Bueckers or Cameron Brink talk this honestly about Clark; first, without the obligatory tribute to the Black women who came before her, as if that were now a prerequisite.

Meanwhile, Angel Reese and Alyssa Thomas lecture viewers on how unfair life is, while Cunningham dances on TikTok, sings in her hotel room, and wears “Hot Girls Eat Arby’s” T-shirts.

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham jokes with Max Holloway after UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., on July 11, 2026. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

Cunningham is a throwback to a time when American athletes fans wanted to emulate. Sounds like the life of the party. Most of the rest of the WNBA looks like the group that hopes everyone remembers their SSRIs before they show up.

The usual suspects on social media attributed Cunningham’s stardom to “White privilege.” Of course there is. But this is absolutely not true.

First of all, “White privilege” is a strange explanation for success in a league where White players are constantly vilified and, in Clark’s case, physically targeted. More importantly, Black actors can be as popular as Cunningham. It just requires abandoning the perpetual victim mentality and severe cases of Clark Disorder Syndrome (CDS).

This is not complicated.

Cunningham defends and protects the most popular figure in women’s sports. Many of his peers spend their time roughing up Clark, but then insist that they are the real targets.

And forget about Cunningham’s claim that he’s “not good enough.” How many basketball players can make Arby’s Beef ‘N Cheddar trendy while also sparking interest in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue?

June 16, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) celebrates a shot in the first half against the Toronto Tempo at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images (IMAGES BY IMAGN via Reuters Connect)

Cunningham understood the task in all seriousness.

Whenever a superior athlete emerges, everyone around them has the chance to grow with them. Cunningham noticed that moment. He took advantage of this. Many of her WNBA peers squandered it.

Ask yourself a simple question: Why do fans support so many of these women? They appear unhappy, resentful and ungrateful. Instead of inspiring people, they want people to feel sorry for them and feel guilty for not supporting them sooner.

On the contrary, Sophie Cunningham is a hoot. It’s not political or polarizing. He looks really happy and silly. He thanks his fans at every opportunity.

Cunningham has the kind of personality that American sports fans always gravitate towards. Very funny. He is original. He doesn’t seem angry at the audience he’s trying to attract.

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That’s what makes her a unique player in the WNBA today.

Honestly, Nike and Under Armor made a serious mistake by allowing Adidas to get to Cunningham first. New sneakers are about to become a hot commodity.