Associating themselves with Sophie Cunningham and then showing up to support the Indiana Fever star during the Fever’s road game against Minnesota was enough to boost apparel brand XX-XY ‘s sales sixfold. That’s how much the Fever guard’s influence has grown off the court. In fact, her stance opposing trans athletes competing in women’s sports has generated such a massive controversy that her name has been banned by r/WNBA moderators on Reddit. In light of the ban, Seattle Storm star Lexie Brown believes Cunningham has achieved something special.
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“She’s very authentic. People like her… Sophie’s very talented. She helped the Phoenix Mercury get to the finals. Like she’s legit… But you get on a team like that [Fever], your role changes. She’s been in the league what, eight, nine years now. Like, she’s figured out a way,” Brown said on Michael Porter Jr.’s Curious Mike podcast.
“It’s such an achievement being able to go in different environments and different teams and have different teammates and still be able to be impactful on and off the court. So, that’s something that I can respect about Sophie is her building her brand so late in her career, but she’s like figured it out.”
Sophie Cunningham has played for just two teams across her eight-season career. Her WNBA journey, however, did not begin with eye-catching numbers. She averaged only 3.1 points per game as a rookie, while her contribution in rebounding and playmaking was limited.
Cunningham’s numbers improved gradually with each season. She moved to 5.0 points per game in her second season and 5.6 in her third, while also beginning to make more of an impact on the glass. The WNBA guard’s fourth season became her breakout year, as she finished the 2022 season averaging 12.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, and earned the league’s Most Improved Player honor.
However, if there was one move that changed the trajectory of Cunningham’s career, it was her arrival in Indiana. The 6’1 guard was sent to the Fever in an offseason trade as Phoenix made roster adjustments and strategic changes. The move also placed her in a very different environment, alongside a team that became the only WNBA team to have all their games nationally televised.
On Curious Mike, Brown also acknowledged just how significant that change was for Sophie Cunningham. “She was on the fever… When Caitlin got drafted, it was like one of the hottest teams in the league.”
Cunningham’s popularity in Indiana grew even faster after she stood up for Caitlin Clark during the incident involving Jacy Sheldon during the June 17, 2025 game against the Connecticut Sun. Before long, the Clark’s ‘Enforcer’ label began following her. But this season has shown that her identity is becoming much bigger than that nickname.
Her comments from the July 21 profile by ESPN’s Ellie Grossman sparked a debate that quickly moved far beyond the league. Analysts, ex-NBA athltes athletes, politicians, and ordinary fans all became part of the wider conversation surrounding her remarks.
After the Reddit ban, even the WNBA had to officially clarify that they had no role to play in it. “The WNBA does not moderate or have any affiliation with the r/WNBA subreddit,” a WNBA spokesperson told Front Office Sports.
Having a voice that carries so much weight does not happen overnight. Sophie Cunningham has spent close to a decade in the WNBA, gradually building a career, finding her role, and becoming comfortable enough in the league to make her presence felt both on and off the court.