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Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham has become the second most popular WNBA player among many circles of fans in recent days after aggressively protecting teammate Caitlin Clark against players hitting her.
During a game against Connecticut Sun on Tuesday, Cunningham started a fight between the two teams after several physical plays against Clark.
Cunningham’s persona and popularity Skyrocket in the days that followed as she slowly becomes an icon among Wnba’s newer fans.
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Cunningham’s successor counting on social media is fast time
June 17, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana: Indiana Fever -vagt Sophie Cunningham (8) in the second half against Connecticut Sun at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. (Trevor Ruszkowski-Published Pictures)
Before Tuesday’s game, Cunningham had fewer than 400,000 followers at Tiktok.
At the time of publication, she has 1.2 million on Tiktok and this number is only growing.
She has an estimated increase of more than 300,000 followers on Instagram since the game also with a total of more than 800,000 at the time of publication.
SPORTICO estimates that her increase in supporters could be worth over $ 1 million.
“It’s an unprecedented growth,” Addison Abdo, who represents Cunningham as senior director at Sports Management Agency PRP, told the business. “We are working with some pretty big athletes who have become viral to some pretty big things, but this has been something that I haven’t seen before – this type of growth in this short time … was very new territory.”
Cunningham comes from a family of southern farmers
A five -part feature series by Cunningham’s Alma Mater, University of Missouri, told his family’s southern farm rods.
Cunningham learned to ride horses and drove four -wheelers to the family’s grain silos.
“So much of our success goes back to what we learned here,” Cunningham said of working on the farm. “We loved to get out to the yard to help. We found out how we work hard and work together. It made us go into yard.”
Cunningham even had a special name for his farmer grandparents: “Maw Maw and Paw Paw.”
Cunningham played football with boys in high school
Cunningham was born in a family of athletes when her parents, Jim and Paula Cunningham, each played sports at the University of Missouri. Her father played football and her mother competed in freedom.
So Sophie ended up having sports right away.
She played girls’ basketball and volleyball at the Rock Bridge High School in Missouri, but even ended up following in her father’s footsteps on the football field.
A 2014 article by Columbia Missourian reported that Cunningham was the first female to ever score any points for the team in history as she kicked two of four extra points instead of the team’s regular kicker who had suffered a torn ACL.
Cunningham even handled kick-off tasks.
“I was so nervous,” Cunningham told the business. “I mean, I’ve never played football before in my entire life. Just when I got the ball (on opening the kickoff), I couldn’t hear anything. I just put the ball down and kick it.”
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Cunningham has been able to fight since she was a very small child
With Cunningham earning the nickname “The Enforcer” to the fever, fans who count on her to protect Caitlin Clark can take confidence to know that she is a black belt in Korean martial arts in Taekwondo.
She earned the black belt at only the sore age of six.
Cunningham’s Martial Arts -experience earned aspn -host Pat McAfee.
“It feels like Caitlin Clark will be treated in a certain way in this league for a long time. She’s not a rookie anymore. She has already proven herself. She has won. And then there were some ladies last night trying to get a little physical,” McAfee said during an episode of her show on Wednesday.
May 17, 2025; Indianapolis, I, USA: Indiana Fever Guard Sophie Cunningham (8) sets for a photo on Saturday, May 17, 2025, before a game between Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (Grace Smith-Imagn images via Indystar)
“And last year I think something we noticed … When Caitlin would be bullied, nobody would do anything … they bring Sophie Cunningham in, I had no idea about Sophie Cunningham was a black belt at the age of six! Boom! ‘Jacy Sheldon, it’s sweet. You want to pir [Clark] In the eye? … I take a take-foul and you eat the tire a little here. ” ”
Cunningham was once criticized for wearing a hat that looked like a maga hat
Back in June last year, Cunningham published a photo of himself wearing a red hat with white text on social media, and swarms of critics rushed to speak against her for perceived the support of Donald Trump.
June 17, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana: Indiana Fever Guard Sophie Cunningham (8) and Connecticut Sun Guard Jacy Sheldon (4) come in a match in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. (Trevor Ruszkowski-Published Pictures)
However, the hat simply said “Hot Cowgirl Summer.”
Cunningham’s team at the time, Phoenix Mercury, even had to create a post from the official team account to clarify what the hat was saying.
Outkick has previously reported that Cunningham has been regularly criticized by WNBA fans who have called her “Maga Barbie.”
Cunningham’s official political views are unknown.
