Last year, Angel Reese showed that controversy doesn’t always have to hurt an athlete’s brand. When the “mebounds” saga took over the internet, the Bayou Barbie turned the moment into an opportunity, trademarking the phrase and launching her own merch line that ultimately became another extension of her growing brand. Now, Sophie Cunningham appears to be finding a similar opportunity.

After finding herself at the center of a national debate over her comments on transgender athletes in women’s sports, Cunningham’s growing influence has now seemingly translated into a major boost for an apparel brand associated with her.

According to a report published by Front Office Sports, XX-XY Athletics has seen its sales jump sixfold over the past two weeks, with the two-year-old company attributing the surge to its association with Sophie Cunningham. That amounts to a 500% increase from its previous sales level.

According to the same FOS report, 85% of purchases from XX-XY Athletics since its connection with Cunningham have come from first-time customers.

Get the Essentially W Newsletter. Everyday front-court analysis and back-court drama — where the W takes center court.

It is interesting to note that XX-XY Athletics was founded by Jennifer Sey, a former gymnast and published author of Levi’s Unbuttoned: The Woke Mob Took My Job But Gave Me My Voice. The brand reportedly promotes a message centered around “being brave, telling the truth, and protecting women’s sports,” according to Fashion United.

The timing of the collaboration couldn’t have been more perfect. Cunningham has become one of the WNBA’s most talked-about players this summer after voicing her stance on transgender athletes competing in women’s sports.

Her comments generated both support and criticism and have caused fans to organize rallies before Fever games. Another rally is set to take place ahead of the team’s game against the New York Liberty on August 22, per Fox News’ Jackson Thompson on X.

That attention soon translated into a public association with XX-XY Athletics. On August 2, founder Jennifer Sey and conservative activist Riley Gaines were photographed alongside Cunningham wearing the brand’s shirts ahead of Indiana’s game against the Minnesota Lynx. The image was shared on Instagram, and the brand’s sales have surged since.

Both Sey and Gaines have spoken out against including trans women in women’s sports. Gaines, prior to her career as an activist, was a professional swimmer, with four SEC medals to her name.

The apparel brand now boasts 124,000 followers on Instagram, with the image of Sey, Gaines, and Cunningham receiving more than 110 comments. Their latest post is a video compilation of young girls thanking Cunningham for taking a stand against transgender athletes.

For every rally that has taken place since Cunningham’s July 21 profile interview with ESPN, XX-XY apparel has become a common sight among the pro-Cunningham crowds.

On July 28, during the Fever’s game against the Seattle Storm, two supporters of Cunningham’s comments were involved in a verbal altercation with Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton. These two supporters were also wearing XX-XY clothing as per the FOS report. The altercation led to Keaton being suspended from five of the team’s home games and being fined an undisclosed amount.

These instances generated significant growth for the brand, with FOS reporting that Google searches for XX-XY Athletics were up by more than 5,000% over the last month.

Now, with Cunningham’s growing influence clearly visible through the numbers, XX-XY Athletics is reaching a much larger audience for its merchandise. But the latest controversy surrounding Cunningham is not the only moment this season that has put her in the spotlight. An earlier incident could also prove significant in shaping her growing brand and commercial appeal.

Remember Cunningham’s now-iconic pose aimed at former teammate DeWanna Bonner, which quickly became one of the WNBA’s biggest viral moments of the season, spawning countless memes and even earning a repost from the White House on X?

Well, the WNBPA may have effectively ruled out brands using the moment for merchandise, stating, “For licensed apparel, we generally do not feature or look to monetize player conduct from a confrontation between our members.” But that doesn’t necessarily stop Cunningham from monetizing the meme herself, as long as the merchandise doesn’t feature WNBA or WNBPA branding.

Cunningham hasn’t released anything just yet, but the viral moment could still become another lucrative avenue for her to expand her brand. For now, though, it appears the Fever guard has her sights set on something far bigger than merchandise.

Sophie Cunningham Reportedly Shopping for Book Deal

It certainly looks like Cunningham wants to tell her side of the story amid all the controversy, and a book could be the perfect avenue to do so. According to Page Six Hollywood, the Fever guard is now looking to land a book deal.

“Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham is shopping a book, publishing sources exclusively tell Page Six Hollywood,” the report stated. “The 6-foot-1 guard — who has 3.7 million followers on Instagram — could find herself at the center of a bidding war, we hear, with the timely tome.”

Cunningham already has a successful YouTube podcast, Show Me Something, alongside her co-host West Wilson, with the channel boasting more than 60,000 subscribers. Her outspoken nature has often landed her in trouble, whether it was the league fining her for criticizing officiating or the controversy surrounding her recent comments, which has completely shifted the spotlight away from the on-court action in the WNBA.

With everything she has experienced this summer, Cunningham will undoubtedly be an attractive name for publishers. But perhaps the book deal could mean more to her than simply another business opportunity. With the spotlight firmly fixed on her, this could be Cunningham’s chance to take control of the narrative, tell her side of the story in her own words, and finally let people hear the story behind the headlines.