The Indiana star Sophie Cunningham has cemented herself as a fan favorite due to her persona. From fans dubbing Cunningham the ‘Enforcer’ for Caitlin Clark to her getting a cameo as a ring girl at UFC 329, her popularity once again became apparent when she hosted the ‘Simple Truth Sophie Cunningham Basketball ProCamp’ in Carmel, Indiana, on Sunday. The highlight of the day was the hundreds of kids asking her to pose with them doing her now-iconic gesture.
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“Okay, I will say they’re the ones requesting that. They’re like, ‘Hey, can you point? I’m like, whatever you guys want… and so yeah, I walked in, and instead of like cheers and stuff, everyone pointed,” she said in a video shared by WISH-TV News reporter Angela Moryan.
“I don’t know if they set that up or what, but it’s been really fun to come in there, and now they’re all starting to do it. I didn’t mean for that meme to even become a meme, and then it kind of just went all over the world. So it’s been kind of funny.”
The finger-pointing pose Cunningham is mentioning originated a few weeks ago on June 22, in Indiana’s match against the Phoenix Mercury. Late in the fourth quarter, Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark and Phoenix Mercury player DeWanna Bonner got into a heated verbal and physical altercation. Cunningham jumped in afterwards, pointing her finger towards a visibly upset Bonner for a few good seconds.
This finger-pointing gesture has since been doing the rounds on the internet and has translated into a global meme, being used by fans in various contexts. It has elevated her image as someone willing to stand up for her teammates and for what she believes in.
Sophie Cunningham has always been known to be honest and direct in expressing her thoughts, on or off the court. She shared those same virtues with the young players who attended the camp.
“One of my biggest messages to little boys too, but really little girls, is it’s okay to be feisty,” Cunningham said, as per wishtv.com.
As per Fever beat writer Scott Agnes, over 300 boys and girls, aged between 6 and 15, were part of this special event. Cunningham and the coaches involved shared tips and instructions on fundamental basketball skills, contests, and more. The event took place one day after Indiana defeated the New York Liberty.
Cunningham has recently unveiled a personal sneaker line with Adidas, and remains a key rotational piece in the Indiana team. However, she has always maintained that she aims to create a lasting legacy beyond basketball. For her, endeavors like these are a step in that direction.
The young players surely enjoyed their time with her, and she obliged them by posing for pictures with them.