If you had any doubts about Sophie Cunningham\u2019s ability to captivate the social media universe, well, the finger is now pointed directly at you.<\/p>\n
Maybe most of the discourse in the WNBA this week revolves around her Indiana Fever teammate, Caitlin Clark, and a beef with referees about technical fouls and missed calls. But there was a hilariously saucy spin-off to Monday night\u2019s dust-up involving Clark<\/a> and Phoenix\u2019s DeWanna Bonner: Cunningham once again asserting her place as the center of attention.<\/p>\n A quick recap: In the fourth quarter of the Fever\u2019s eventual 86-77 win over the Mercury, Clark and Bonner got tangled up and exchanged words after referees whistled the play dead. They were separated quickly \u2014 Cunningham was one of the first Fever players on the floor to Clark\u2019s side \u2014 but emotions didn\u2019t die down.<\/p>\n Moments later, Bonner and Cunningham became the focal point of the ongoing trash-talking, with Bonner issuing choice words to Cunningham and pointing at her. Cunningham maintained eye contact and wordlessly pointed back \u2026 and kept pointing \u2026 and kept pointing \u2026 and kept pointing, for roughly 22 seconds, until a seemingly amused Fever staff member redirected her toward the bench.<\/p>\n Both players received technical fouls for the exchange, but that was hardly the point.<\/p>\n The point was the Internet meme machine taking over.<\/p>\n Me watching the server at Chipotle trying to shake that extra chicken off the serving spoon. https:\/\/t.co\/6tAguuW5h3<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Mario (@NerfFries) June 25, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n *A garbage truck makes a barely audible sound as it lifts a bin several blocks from our house*<\/p>\n My 2 year old:pic.twitter.com\/6YKdK3jdYE<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Mina Kimes (@minakimes) June 25, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Cunningham, not surprisingly, has leaned completely into another phenomenon she created, taking selfies with fans while posing and pointing.<\/p>\n There is some history to consider. Though Bonner wasn\u2019t her teammate in Phoenix \u2014 and most of the Mercury roster has changed \u2014 Cunningham played for the franchise from 2019-2024. She and Bonner were also briefly teammates last season with the Fever before Bonner left for the Mercury after nine games, and Cunningham criticized Bonner\u2019s exit.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s OK to be professional about it and, like, send a text to your teammates,\u201d Cunningham said on her podcast last year.<\/p>\n Of course, Monday\u2019s game was not the first time Cunningham has been involved in a Clark-related kerfuffle. In 2025, after Clark received an eye poke from then-Connecticut Sun guard Jacy Sheldon during a game, Cunningham later hustled back to effectively headlock Sheldon on a layup attempt<\/a>, a sequence that got both players ejected from the game.<\/p>\n Cunningham also has 1.5 million Instagram followers, co-hosts the \u201cShow Me Something\u201d podcast with Bravo personality West Wilson, appears as a guest analyst during USA Network WNBA broadcasts, has secured endorsement deals with the likes of Adidas, Quest Nutrition and SHARx and also debuted in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue this spring.<\/p>\n In sum? This likely won\u2019t be the last time everyone\u2019s attention is pointed toward her.<\/p>\n