Sophie Cunningham’s interview with ESPN’s Hallie Grossman has once again put her under the spotlight. However, this time social media isn’t turning her pointing gesture into a meme. Instead, the Indiana Fever guard’s take on the sensitive issue of trans athletes in women’s sports has earned considerable backlash. Now, days after her July 21 interview, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has publicly defended Cunningham.

“It’s completely ludicrous that anyone could support that. It’s even more ludicrous that you have Sophie Cunningham, a female athlete herself, very accomplished in her own right, coming forth and speaking that truth that men shouldn’t play in women’s sports, ‘We want to protect women and girls,’ and the backlash she is receiving from Democrats and left-wing figures across the country is astonishing.”

“They are clearly very out of touch with the American public on this issue. Which again is an 80-20 issue. It’s common sense, it’s rooted in basic biological fact, that men should not be competing against women on playing fields across the country,” Leavitt said in a clip posted by Fox News reporter Jackson Thompson.

Talking to reporters ahead of Indiana Fever’s franchise record-setting 123-88 win against the Connecticut Sun, Cunningham defended her own views along similar lines.

“I said what I said. I think it’s kind of common sense. I think I’ll always believe in that. I think it’s really important to protect children. Little girls are also involved in that category. So I stand by what I said,” the 29-year-old said.

Cunningham also clarified that while she is not a “very political person,” she does have her own morals and beliefs and no amount of backlash will change her stance.

“People are always going to have something to say. You could win the championship, you could be the best at whatever it is, and there’s still people who are going to hate on you. And so, that’s just what this world is,” she told the media.

Cunningham has always remained in the media’s focus, as part of the only franchise with all 44 of its regular-season games on national TV. However, since going viral for pointing at DeWanna Bonner for 22 seconds straight while stepping in to defend her teammate Caitlin Clark on June 22, Cunningham’s mainstream popularity has skyrocketed.

While that is one of the reasons why her take on trans athletes in women’s sports is getting so much attention, earlier this week even her pointing gesture came under scrutiny.

The WNBPA’s decision on the viral Sophie Cunningham gesture

The Indiana Fever star’s gesture became so popular that celebrities and even the White House used it in one of their social media posts. However, the real surprise came at UFC 329.

Cunningham, who has become friends with UFC president Dana White, didn’t just get to cameo as a ring girl during the co-main event; she got to step inside the octagon with former featherweight champion Max Holloway. She then recreated the pointing gesture with Holloway inside the cage.

Then, while hosting ‘Simple Truth Sophie Cunningham Basketball ProCamp’ in Carmel, Indiana, last Sunday, hundreds of kids greeted the WNBA star with the same gesture. However, earlier this week, it came under scrutiny from the WNBPA.

The WNBPA viewed the gesture as “derogatory” because it originated from an on-court confrontation between players during a game.

“For licensed apparel, we generally do not feature or look to monetize player conduct from a confrontation between our members,” a league spokesperson told Front Office Sports.

However, under the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rules, the WNBPA has explicitly stated that “players are of course free to create and/or license their own product”.

Cunningham herself has said that she has embraced the attention and is fully open to using the newfound fame for her benefit. “I am not ignorant. I know that if you use this platform, once the ball stops bouncing, you’re setting yourself up for success,” she said on the July 9 episode of the Sons and Daughters podcast.

So, it’s safe to say that whether it’s on-court actions or off-court statements, the Fever player has grown accustomed to scrutiny.