Sophie Cunningham has found herself at the centre of another social media controversy, despite the Indiana Fever guard not having any involvement in the response that sparked much of the discussion.
Cunningham and the Fever will not be competing in this year's WNBA Finals, but her name has continued to attract attention after President Donald Trump made comments about her appearance during a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, on Monday night.
Donald Trump says Sophie Cunningham attracts men to WNBA games for her beauty
Trump turned his attention to the basketball player while discussing the WNBA, suggesting that some male fans tune in partly because of her looks rather than her contribution on the court.
“A lot of men like to watch her,” Trump said. “Sophie Cunningham is a beautiful young woman. You probably wouldn’t mind her on the team not to help you with points, but to help you with attendance.”
The remarks quickly circulated online, drawing attention from basketball fans and prompting debate about the way female athletes are discussed in public. While some focused on Trump's comments themselves, the conversation soon took another turn when a post appeared to show Cunningham responding directly to the president.
The apparent reply was not genuine. Instead, it came from a social media account impersonating the Fever guard, and Cunningham has not been confirmed as the person behind the message.
Nevertheless, the post gained significant traction, receiving more than 200,000 views and attracting a wave of reactions from users who believed they were seeing a response from the player herself.
That confusion became a story in its own right, with the account's brief message prompting criticism from people who interpreted it as Cunningham accepting Trump's remarks about her appearance.
Sophie Cunningham's previous response to criticism offers a clue
The fake message read, “I’m grateful thanks Mr president.” Its short wording was enough to generate a substantial reaction, with some users treating it as an authentic statement from the basketball player rather than checking the identity of the account behind it.
One fan criticised the apparent response, writing: “He literally said you have no talent other than what your parents gave you. You’re not valued for your skill in his eyes, just your body. You’re grateful for being sexualized? Yikes.”
Another user was equally unimpressed, posting: “Clout chasing insults now is wild.”
The backlash reflected a wider disagreement over Trump's original comments. Critics argued that focusing on Cunningham's appearance overlooked her professional achievements and reduced her contribution to the Fever to something unrelated to basketball.
Others discussed the remarks in the context of the continuing debate about women athletes, their public image and the attention they receive away from competition.
Cunningham, meanwhile, has not been confirmed as having issued a direct response to Trump's remarks. The fake account's post should not be mistaken for her position, and there is no basis for attributing its message to her.
The controversy arrives at a time when Cunningham has already been dealing with intense scrutiny. Her comments about transgender athletes and women's sports have attracted both support and criticism, while recent discussion about her future with Indiana has added another layer to the attention surrounding her.
She has made it clear, however, that she does not intend to let online criticism dictate how she approaches her career. Speaking on a recent episode of her podcast, Cunningham explained why she has become less concerned about what people say about her.
“I literally don’t even care what anybody says about me anymore, because I’ve said this so many times, if you’re going to live by the praise, you’re going to die by the hate. The majority of these have never picked up a ball in their entire lives and they’re just like thirsty to like, have attention or be relevant in some type of way. No matter what anybody says to me, I’m going to continue to do me. I know what I bring to the table, it’s not always in the stat sheet. And so, for you to like, not say I’m effective or any of that, whatever,” she said.
That statement suggests Cunningham is familiar with the cycle of attention that follows controversial headlines, even if the latest incident has brought a new dimension to the conversation.
For now, the key distinction is that the viral reply was posted by an account impersonating the Fever guard, not by Cunningham herself.
Whether she chooses to address Trump's comments directly remains to be seen. She is under no obligation to respond, and the fake post should not be treated as evidence of what she thinks about the president's remarks.