“She is the most impactful player that I’ve seen hit the scene.” The words were uttered by WNBA veteran Chiney Ogwumike. With this statement, she confirmed that Caitlin Clark is the face of the WNBA. Millions watch her games on TV. Kids wear her jersey. Given the impact she’s had on the league, it’s become even more difficult to step out of her shadow. But an Indiana Fever star has managed to do so.

We’re talking about the guardian angel of Clark, Sophie Cunningham. Since joining the Indiana Fever on January 31, Cunningham has been taking huge strides in popularity. Her social media presence and on-court fierceness are winning the hearts of many. Now, Cunningham has stepped out of Clark’s shadow to accomplish what many consider an industry first.

The industry first we’re talking about is Sophie Cunningham becoming the first WNBA player to sign an endorsement deal with Arby’s! You might wonder why a $2 million athlete is endorsing a fast-food chain. Well, the answer to that traces back to April 2025. Back then, she ordered Arby’s and posted a review on TikTok. She gave Arby’s ham and roast beef sliders a glorious score of 9/10.

Within that short span, Cunningham showed up to a game against Chicago wearing a shirt that read, Hot Girls Eat Arby’s. Furthermore, the fast food chain soon jumped on the bandwagon. They reposted her tunnel fit, calling her an unapologetic queen. However, the Indiana Fever player is not the first to endorse a fast-food chain. The WNBA player to do it before her was on the opposite side, the Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese.

Launched in February 2025, Angel Reese had her special meal at McDonald’s. Dubbed the Angel Reese special, the meal contained a BBQ Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese, fries, and Hi‑C Orange Lavaburst. While Arby’s now endorses the Indiana Fever player, there was a time she had no interest in seeking more attention.

The history behind Sophie Cunningham and Arby’s

We all know the story behind this endorsement began with Cunningham’s TikTok review. That TikTok, which currently has 882.1K views, has remained viral since the day it was uploaded. However, the WNBA player didn’t expect to become popular as she had her eyes on her sport. Talking about her growing popularity, “I didn’t mean for it to blow up at all, to be honest. But at the end of the day, I’m here to focus on basketball. I’m still so not satisfied with how I’m playing,” she said in early July 2025. Her performance at that time was not meeting her standards.

But now she is back on track and giving a solid performance on the court. She is averaging 7.5 points and 3.9 assists per game for her team this season. Furthermore, she has fully embraced her image being linked with Arby’s. Following the tunnel walk with Arby’s shirt, she posted images of the same on Instagram. The post, captioned Look who has the meats now #ArbysPartner received a like from Caitlin Clark. Fellow teammate Lexie Hull also commented on the post, saying, “SHE HAS THE MEATS.”

Cunningham also has other major endorsements apart from the Arby’s. Ring, Quest Nutrition, Mad Hippie, Adidas, and SKIMS are some of the brands under the belt of the WNBA player. These endorsements boost her net worth towards the upper end of $1.5-2 million. She will next be appearing against her old team, the Phoenix Mercury, on Wednesday. Fans will have to wait until then to see what viral moment she creates next.