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The W.N.B.A.’s Sophie Cunningham is riding her viral moment to endorsements and brand deals. But she doesn’t want to talk politics.
By Tania Ganguli
On June 17, the Indiana Fever played the Connecticut Sun in a Women’s National Basketball Association game filled with hard fouls and bad feelings. One Sun player shoved the Fever star Caitlin Clark. Another, Jacy Sheldon, had poked her in the eye. The antics infuriated one of Ms. Clark’s teammates — the quick-tempered Sophie Cunningham, who said in later interviews that she felt that Ms. Clark, whose talent and fame were transforming the W.N.B.A., wasn’t being properly protected by the referees.
She wanted to send a message.
