Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham found herself at the center of an unexpected conversation during a recent appearance on “The Colin Cowherd Podcast.”
Cunningham joined the show to discuss the rebranding of her podcast, formerly known as “Show Me Something,” which is moving to Cowherd’s media network, The Volume, under a new name, “No Hesitation,” with a new co-host, trainer Drew Hanlen, replacing West Wilson. The revamped show is part of Cunningham’s effort to expand her media presence. However, the conversation took a sudden turn when Cowherd brought up her sex appeal and rising public profile.
Cowherd described Cunningham as a potential “sex symbol” of the WNBA, pointing to the contrast between her physical, aggressive style of play on the court and her fashionable looks when arriving at games.
Colin and Cunningham Trade Pleasantries
Cowherd: “When you are kind of viewed a little bit as the league’s…
Cunningham: Just say it, I don’t care.
Cowherd: Sex symbol. Is that fair?”
Cunningham: “Hey, that is way better. I thought you were going to go somewhere completely different with this, so I’ll take it.”
Cowherd: “My take is you lean into it a little bit, like you’re an interesting contradiction.”
Cowherd: “You’re tough, you’ll fight anybody, you’ll taunt anybody…”
Cowherd: “…but you’ll make sure coming into the arena, I look good, and I want you to know I look good.”
Fans Chime In
Cowherd’s comments about Cunningham quickly garnered the attention of social media users and fans with many giving their opinion on the matter.
“Damn she took that title and ran with it looking hot as hell while still giving major tough girl energy, absolute queen behavior right there,” a fan said.
“She absolutely is. It’s her and everyone else, including Clark who is strong 2nd but WAY behind SOPHIE,” another fan said.
“Sophie is just so unhinged I love her,” a fan mentioned.
“That’s what makes her personality so entertaining. Tough on the court, confident off it, and clearly comfortable being herself,” another fan commented.
Cunningham’s Popularity Explosion Driven By White Middle-Aged Males
WNBA fan bases skew heavily male (around 57% male according to league statistics), and Cunningham’s brand, physicality and traditional presentation have drawn substantial attention across diverse male-dominated online and sports-media communities, ages 35 and up. Clark and Cunningham’s jersey sales reportedly comprised 71 percent of the W’s total sales. Many of those Cunningham jerseys were purchased by doting men buying them for their teenage daughters. When she decided to become the spokesperson for the right-wing’s “protect girls against transgender participation in sports” campaign, it elevated her popularity to another level among certain fan blocks.
Cowherd and Cunningham also discussed the WNBA’s media landscape, criticizing what they viewed as an excessive focus on off-court controversies, outrage and drama rather than the action on the court. Cunningham likened the league’s ongoing drama to a reality show rather than a professional sports league.
The Fever guard also discussed her sassy on-court reputation, the viral finger-pointing gesture that has become part of her public persona, and her willingness to stand up for teammate Caitlin Clark. They also analyzed the Indiana Fever’s high-powered offense alongside the team’s defensive gaps.
Cunningham’s appearance came as she expanded her media presence through a multi-platform deal with Cowherd’s digital network, The Volume.
