Sophie Cunningham: A Role Model Amidst Controversies

Critics often claim that Sophie Cunningham, a key player in the WNBA, is more popular than some of her more recognized peers due to “white privilege.” However, this notion doesn’t hold water.

Ever since Caitlin Clark started her career, numerous WNBA athletes have leveraged their newfound fame, at times, exhibiting bratty tendencies, a sense of entitlement, and even racial hysteria. In stark contrast, Cunningham has made the most of her visibility. She’s engaging, witty, and has a resilience that’s hard to miss.

This week, Colin Cowherd welcomed Cunningham to his podcast on the Volume network. He noticed a distinct difference between her and many other athletes he has come across.

Cowherd shared his thoughts on social media, stating, “Just did a pod w @sophaller. Never had a pod with an athlete that was this honest and authentic. Totally refreshing. I’ll release it tonight.”

Cunningham comes off as genuine and relatable. She stands firm against societal pressures that suggest attractive white women should feel ashamed of their appearance, much like Sydney Sweeney.

During their chat, Cowherd tactfully hinted at Cunningham’s reputation, saying, “You are kind of viewed as the leagues…ummm…” to which she quipped, “Just say it.” He hesitated, then finally referred to her as a “sex symbol.” Cunningham lightheartedly responded, “That is way better, I thought you were gonna go somewhere completely different.”

In contrast to Cunningham’s self-assuredness, Angel Reese recently made headlines for referring to herself as “beautiful” multiple times while simultaneously claiming others were “sexualizing” her. It seems many WNBA players want to embrace the sex symbol label, only to later express discomfort about it. Cunningham, however, has embraced this narrative, and rightly so.

She explained her perspective, saying, “For me, the reason why I really lean into that is, first of all, I’ve always been super girly. Since a little girl, I’ve always loved to dress up. I love dresses. I love high heels. I love all of that. For some reason, our society, if you play basketball, you can’t dress that way, or you can’t be girly. No one’s ever said it, but it’s like, they kind of feel that you can’t be both. Screw all that. Yes, you can. You can be girly, and you can go out and kick someone’s ass.”

Cunningham’s attitude is a bold affirmation. Meanwhile, some critics, like DiJonai Carrington and Jemele Hill, appear eager to attribute her popularity solely to her race, perhaps thinking this is the way to undermine her success. Yet, Cunningham’s appeal undoubtedly transcends skin color. She’s a fierce, confident player who fiercely defends her teammates and doesn’t shy away from critiquing the media elite.

It would greatly benefit the WNBA if other athletes took a cue from Cunningham, rather than attempting to undermine her.