The Brooklyn Nets, opening the season 1-7, surely do not have a good start, but thanks to Michael Porter Jr, the Nets picked up their first win of the season against an injury-riddled Indiana Pacers. The 27-year-old forward erupted for 32 points on the night while grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out 3 assists, but more than his performance, it is MPJ’s Instagram story that everyone is talking about.

Porter Jr.’s Instagram story featuring Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham quickly sparked speculation online. What seemed like an innocent post from the former NBA champion ignited rumors suggesting a possible relationship between him and the Fever star. More so, with a pretty popular account on X (formerly Twitter) called ‘BrickCenter’ stating, “Sophie Cunningham and MPJ are dating.” But, is that actually the case?

Are Michael Porter Jr. and Sophie Cunningham actually dating?

While Porter Jr. and Sophie Cunningham seem to share a great bond, they are not romantically involved. Both have been friends since their childhood days. In fact, the Nets forward himself, not too long ago, revealed that he grew up with Cunningham in Missouri. Not just that, something that everyone, including the account that started this rumor, missed was MPJ’s caption.

If you look closely at the picture, the Brooklyn Nets star has not only tagged Sophie Cunningham but also written “573” in the caption. Now that’s the key part, or an easter egg you may call it. It is because the number MPJ has mentioned is an area code in the state of Missouri. This indicates that he just posted the picture as a friendly gesture, rather than both of them being in a relationship.

Michael Porter Jr.’s post seemed to confirm that he and Sophie Cunningham are simply longtime friends. For anyone still unsure, his sister’s past comments about Cunningham from their days as teammates at the University of Missouri make that bond even clearer.

Cierra Porter, Michael Porter Jr.’s older sister, shared the court with Sophie Cunningham during their time with the Missouri Tigers. Reflecting on their bond as freshmen, Cierra said, “We kind of grew up together. You go through all the ups and downs, and you end up like sisters.” She added, “It’s a really fun connection, and I’m really blessed to have played with her for so long.”

Her words make it clear that the Porter and Cunningham families share a long, genuine friendship rather than anything romantic. Still, this isn’t the first time Michael Porter Jr. has mentioned or posted about the Indiana Fever star.

Michael Porter Jr. leveraged his friendship with Sophie Cunningham to quell a heated WNBA take

While Michael Porter Jr. is now in the spotlight for his photo with WNBA star Sophie Cunningham, he recently made headlines for a different reason. During a podcast appearance, Porter sparked backlash by questioning why women’s basketball players seek the same treatment as their male counterparts, arguing that the men’s and women’s games are completely different.

This was just one of several controversial comments Porter made about women’s basketball. The 27-year-old faced heavy backlash for his remarks and later turned to his friendship with Sophie Cunningham to ease the criticism. In an interview with the New York Post, Porter clarified his stance, saying, “I’m the biggest fan of the WNBA,” adding that his two older sisters used to beat him in basketball growing up.

The Nets Number 17 shared that he “grew up with Sophie Cunningham” in Columbia, Missouri, and added, “[Cunningham and I have] talked about being able to chop it up and talk on a podcast.” Although some time has passed since that interview, the two have yet to collaborate, even with Cunningham hosting her own show. With new dating rumors now swirling, it will be interesting to see what both stars have to say.