STAND with SOPHIE! Seriously, STAND with SOPHIE!!!

STAND with SOPHIE! Seriously, STAND with SOPHIE!!! Sophie Cunningham is a professional WNBA guard currently playing for the Indiana Fever, known both for her three-point shooting and for her highly visible, outspoken presence on and off the court.[2][7][11] She was originally drafted by the Phoenix Mercury with the 13th overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft after a standout college career at the University of Missouri, developing into a strong perimeter shooter and defender and earning a contract extension with Phoenix through 2025 before later being traded to Indiana.[7][11] With the Mercury she averaged around 7–8 points per game over multiple seasons, with a peak year in 2022 at roughly 12.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists.[7][11] In Indiana, she has become a fan favorite and one of the team’s emotional leaders, especially surrounding star guard Caitlin Clark. Media have frequently referred to her as Clark’s “bodyguard” or “enforcer”, highlighting her physical, confrontational style and her willingness to defend Clark in on-court altercations; she is also noted as a black belt in Taekwondo, reinforcing that enforcer image.[2][6][9] In the 2025 season with the Fever she appeared in 30 games before an MCL injury, averaging about 8.6 points and shooting a career‑high 43.2% from three-point range.[2][3] She re-signed with Indiana for the 2026 season on a one-year deal and has had several key scoring bursts off the bench in close games.[2][6][14] Off the court, Cunningham has become one of the most prominent and polarizing public figures in the WNBA. She has a large social media following (hundreds of thousands to over a million followers across platforms), regularly posts fashion and lifestyle content, and has drawn attention for tunnel outfits and media appearances.[7][9] At the same time, she has been at the center of multiple controversies: comments about transgender athletes and “protecting young girls in sport” have led to boos from opposing crowds and sharp debate in media coverage; she has also criticized WNBA leadership and media for focusing on everything “except basketball.”[5][12][13] In 2026 she was involved in a widely discussed incident when she was fouled hard by DiJonai Carrington, resulting in a flagrant-2 and ejection; Cunningham publicly rejected framing the play in racial terms, pointing to her own prior flagrant ejection as a comparison.[1][4][10] The fallout intensified ongoing debates around league culture, media bias, and her outspoken stances.