Sophie Cunningham’s rise to mainstream popularity has been meteoric. From going viral for her fearless attitude on-court to becoming friends with UFC President Dana White, Cunningham has built a presence outside the sport. She even got a cameo as a ring girl between rounds during the UFC 329 co-main event on July 11. Now, WNBA analyst Jemele Hill has spoken about the Fever guard’s growing fame.
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“She also has the podcast. She has some exclusive shoe dropping on Adidas. And people are gonna think I’m saying this with shade, but I’m just saying this as a point of fact is that rarely do you see someone whose career average is 8 points per game receive this level of attention,” Hill said on Wednesday’s episode of their Flagrant and Funny podcast.
“There’s a lot of reasons for it. One, I think she’s fiery, outspoken. She’s attractive, straight, white, and she has gotten this brand now of being Caitlin Clark’s fiercest protector… I want people to understand. I’m saying it’s a factor. I’m not saying it’s the number one reason.”
Cunningham had nothing like this level of visibility before her move to the Indiana Fever. Specifically, her popularity began soaring in 2025 after she aggressively defended Clark and was ejected after an altercation involving Jacy Sheldon. Since then, fans have looked at Cunningham as the ‘enforcer’ for Clark.
In fact, this season, it was while stepping in to defend Clark that she produced the now-iconic 22-second finger-pointing gesture against DeWanna Bonner. It landed her appearances on a show with James Corden. And it eventually earned her the UFC ring girl cameo.
Hill also said that Cunningham has tapped into her rising popularity to benefit from it.
“She’s very aware of being a media darling right now and looking to capitalize on this and understands that entertainment is part of her game.”
And Sophie Cunningham herself confirmed it while speaking on the Sons and Daughters podcast about a week ago. Cunningham explained why she has taken advantage of the opportunities that come after going viral.
“I am not ignorant. I know that if you use this platform, once the ball stops bouncing, you’re setting yourself up for success. And the players need to start doing that because we don’t make enough money.”
The WNBA guard has built a strong social media presence and is actively trying to develop a presence outside of basketball. At 29, the Indiana Fever player is already preparing for the time when she has to step away from pro basketball.