The WNBA may be on its World Cup break, but Sophie Cunningham clearly has no intention of stepping away from the spotlight. The Indiana Fever guard made her way to World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois, on Sunday for the NASCAR Cup Series Enjoy Illinois 300. Cunningham attended the event as an athlete contributor, and before long, she had become one of the familiar faces around Gateway.
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The Fever star visited the garages, took part in the pre-race activities, and met several of the sport’s biggest personalities, including Indiana native and NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon. However, one meeting in particular caught people’s attention after an eyewitness captured Cunningham alongside 23XI team owner and basketball legend Michael Jordan.
For Sophie Cunningham, the experience was clearly something special. She did not hold back when describing just how much she was enjoying the day.
“We’re here in Illinois with NASCAR. It’s been the best day of my entire life. I feel these are my people. I belong here. I’m wearing all-black; I got my leather on, boots on. I’m pulling out my Talladega nights, baby.”
Her day at the track went well beyond being a spectator, too. Cunningham moved between several roles during the event, appearing as a race fan, broadcaster, and guest on Kenny Wallace’s pre-race program in the fan zone. The segment with Wallace and co-host John Roberts attracted a sizable crowd and produced its share of entertaining moments.
Sophie Cunningham, who kicked field goals during her high school football days, even got involved in some on-stage mayhem when she kicked a football and ended up knocking over a microphone stand.
The conversation then shifted toward another part of Cunningham’s game: the mental battle between competitors. Wallace asked about her ability to get under an opponent’s skin, something Cunningham has embraced during her WNBA career. That side of her personality became particularly visible this season when a photograph of Cunningham pointing toward Phoenix Mercury star DeWanna Bonner spread widely online and became a meme.
“I think I’ve kind of mastered that art, a little bit. I get a little feisty, if you know what I’m saying,” Cunningham said.
“I do think it is part of the sport. You got to have a one-up on people, and sometimes it’s not physical, it’s the mental game.”
The discussion eventually took another turn, this time toward Cunningham’s growing public profile. Wallace brought up radio host Colin Cowherd’s recent description of Cunningham as a ‘sex symbol’ during a viral clip from their interview.
Sophie Cunningham used the moment to make a broader point rather than simply respond to the label. Her message was aimed at young girls who may feel they have to choose between being feminine and being serious about sports.
“All I’m saying, for all the little girls out there, that if you want to play a sport, you can still be girly, you can still go out there and kick ass, sweat, work hard, and you can still look a certain way. So, go do your thing.”
There was also a personal connection to Cunningham’s NASCAR appearance. The Fever star spent her college years at the University of Missouri, putting her only around 15–20 miles from the Illinois border. So, rather than simply sitting back and watching the race, Cunningham immersed herself in the entire NASCAR experience before the WNBA mid-season break ended on September 16.