Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham is becoming one of the icons of women’s professional basketball and it’s not just because of her talent on the court, which she has in spades. She first started endearing herself to sports fans by constantly protecting teammate Caitlin Clark, who is a frequent target of many black WNBA players.
Her fame then reached new levels after a viral video of her encounter with another WNBA star went viral. By now, just about everyone has seen the video of Cunningham trolling another player by pointing at her with a sarcastic look on her face. It’s become the most popular meme of 2026 and to be honest, it’s not even close.
Cunningham then stood up against allowing transgender men (males who think they are female) from being allowed to play women’s sports, stating that to do so places women not only at a competitive disadvantage, but endangers their physical safety as well. Now she’s going viral for being one of the only players on her team to put her hand over her heart during the national anthem.
The Fever went head-to-head against the New York Liberty in Brooklyn. While the Liberty were not even on the floor for the playing of the anthem, the Fever were. Cunningham, who played college basketball for the University of Missouri, unwittingly made herself stand out amongst her teammates by placing her hand over her heart throughout “The Star Spangled Banner,” according to a report from Yahoo News.
Fans noticed her respectful behavior right away. “Sophie Cunningham is once again the only player on the court to put her hand above her heart for the singing of the US national anthem,” one fan wrote on social media platform X. Another individual praised her for being a “breath of fresh air” and saying she’s “got it goin’ on.”
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“I’ll just note that it’s okay to not put your hand over your heart during the national anthem (that’s more for the Pledge of Allegiance). It’s not a sign of disrespect – examples of that would be not taking your hat off, not standing, or kneeling,” one fan was quick to add. “Love to see it from Sophie!” Someone else added.
“It’s a bonus about Sophie but it’s not a knock against the others as long as they are respectfully facing the flag IMO,” another fan said about the Indiana Fever guard. “You place your hand over your heart for the pledge of allegiance. You stand at attention for the national anthem. Stop baiting for engagement. Be better,” another fan explained.
Despite catching backlash for her stance against male transgender athletes competing against women, Cunningham remains one of the most popular and well-known WNBA stars in the league. Despite facing challenges from rabid progressives about her comments, Cunningham has not bowed the knee to social pressure, remaining firm in her beliefs, earning the respect of common sense Americans everywhere.
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video