Sophie Cunningham’s 2026 season may be over, but the Indiana Fever guard has hardly disappeared from the conversation. After Indiana’s first-round playoff exit against the Las Vegas Aces, Cunningham has found herself back in the spotlight for a reason that has little to do with basketball.
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President Donald Trump recently brought her into the conversation during a rally in Ohio, which drew criticism from some observers. But Trump, known for his provocative social media presence, has since responded in his own way.
Taking to Truth Social, Trump recently shared a photo of Cunningham making her now-viral finger-pointing gesture, and WNBA fans were quick to react as the post sparked fresh discussion, with some fans applauding the president’s trolling style.
“No one mocks better than Trump,” one fan wrote under an X post shared by Tiffany Fong. “His troll game is 💯,” another added.
During his rally in Youngstown on Monday, Trump brought up Sophie Cunningham while discussing transgender athletes in women’s sports. He praised the Fever guard’s appearance and suggested she could help a team draw fans even if she wasn’t contributing on the scoreboard.
“You probably wouldn’t mind her on the team not to help you with points, but to help you with attendance,” Trump said.
His comments sparked a massive backlash. However, the New York Post later clarified that Trump was addressing former NFL coach Jon Gruden, who was in attendance, when he praised Cunningham’s appearance and suggested she could help boost a team’s attendance.
So against that backdrop, his post featuring Sophie Cunningham’s viral finger-pointing photo has led some to speculate that the president was clapping back at those who criticized his earlier remarks. Still, not everyone was amused by the added attention as some WNBA fans questioned whether it could make things more difficult for Cunningham within the league.
“I don’t know if she wants this. Especially now. This will make her hated from the girls in the league,” one fan wrote. “Making her life harder lol,” another added.
The concern surrounding the post comes against the backdrop of a season in which Cunningham has repeatedly found herself at the center of WNBA debates. Often viewed as Caitlin Clark’s on-court enforcer, the 30-year-old made headlines after a heated exchange with the Phoenix Mercury star DeWanna Bonner. During the incident, Cunningham pointed her finger at Bonner and held the gesture for roughly 22 seconds, prompting Bonner to mirror it before growing visibly frustrated. That viral moment is the image Trump later shared on Truth Social.
However, the on-court confrontation was only one part of the conversation surrounding Sophie Cunningham this season. Her comments about transgender athletes in women’s sports sparked an even wider debate after a July interview with ESPN. Although Cunningham made those remarks away from the court, the fallout followed her into arenas, where fans displayed messages both supporting and criticizing her stance. The controversy stretched on for weeks, keeping the Fever guard at the center of a divisive conversation across the league.
So Trump’s decision to bring Cunningham back into the spotlight has now added another layer to that debate. And while some fans have treated his post as an example of his trolling style, others have questioned what the renewed attention could mean for a player who has already spent much of the season under scrutiny.
That concern is already playing out, as one fan took a shot at Cunningham’s career by posting “0 WNBA Championships,” even though she had nothing to do with the situation.
With Indiana’s season already over, conversations around Sophie Cunningham have just proved how quickly they can move beyond basketball. And with her future in Indiana still a talking point heading into the offseason, the renewed attention is unlikely to end with one social media post.