Sophie Cunningham Sets Record Straight on 'Assumption' About Political Views
While Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham had been in the WNBA for six seasons before getting traded to the Fever this past offseason and saw a good deal of success, her superstardom has increased exponentially ever since the 2025 campaign began.
One clear reason for this is that Cunningham is now in proximity to Caitlin Clark, who is the biggest star in the sport by a long shot. These two have cultivated a close friendship, and Cunningham's and Clark's comments on each other's social media accounts, their bench interactions during games, and other chatter about Clark on Cunningham's podcast have made her into a household name.
And on the court, Cunningham earned the role of being Indiana's "enforcer" after she got retaliation on Jacy Sheldon by throwing her to the ground one quarter after Sheldon poked Clark in the eye and had a brief shoving match with her (which ended with Clark getting shoved to the ground by Sheldon's teammate, Marina Mabrey) during a June 17 game.
All of this has turned Cunningham (who is out for the rest of the 2025 season after tearing the MCL in her right knee) into a polarizing figure. And it has also made many make assumptions about her political views, with her even getting the nickname of "MAGA Barbie" from one portion of the women's basketball community.
Sophie Cunningham Gets Clear About Political Affiliation
Cunningham was interviewed by Tania Ganguli of The New York Times for a September 1 article. And at one point, the Fever guard got very clear about her political stance.
Cunningham noted that because she's white and from Missouri, there's a lot of "assumption" about her political views, specifically that she's conservative.
However, Cunningham asserted that she's "right in the middle" when it comes to her political views; in other words, saying that she's moderate rather than being a democrat or a republican outright.
She went on to say that pop culture tried to turn people into political extremists, and that that simply isn't her. She both agrees and disagrees with things on both sides of the political spectrum.
WNBA player Sophie Cunningham's on-court actions in defense of her teammate Caitlin Clark in June attracted national attention. She's now riding her viral moment to endorsements and brand deals, but don't talk to her about politics. https://t.co/ugzS2TfKfR
— DealBook (@dealbook) September 1, 2025
Props to Cunningham for being willing to state this on the record, given the implications it could potentially have on her fan base and her perception in the sport.
What's for sure is that regardless of which way Cunningham leans politically, she isn't afraid to speak her mind and have her teammates' backs. This is the real reason why she's so adored in Indianapolis.
Recommended Reading:
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
Follow GrvntYoung