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Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham has a knack for going viral.
Last season, in her first year with the Fever, the former Phoenix Mercury guard blew up online after getting ejected from a game. This is after she received a Flagrant 2 foul for taking down Connecticut Sun guard Jacy Sheldon. The general belief is that Cunningham’s hard foul was in retaliation for Sheldon’s overly physical play against Caitlin Clark earlier in the game.
Cunningham went viral again earlier this season for another heated moment on the court. This time around, she gave birth to a new meme after pointing at Phoenix Mercury veteran DeWanna Bonner during an intense in-game altercation.
WNBPA lays the law on Sophie Cunningham’s pointing meme
Cunningham’s gesture became an immediate internet sensation. These days, even young kids have grown to love the meme, requesting that Cunningham bust out the move when given the chance.
The WNBA Players’ Association is not very fond of it, though. While they have not directly condemned Cunningham’s behavior, they have made it very clear that they do not support it.
According to a new report by Front Office Sports, the Players’ Association has made a decision on this issue.
“The WNBPA will not allow partner brands to monetize Sophie Cunningham’s viral point, saying it generally does not ‘feature or look to monetize player conduct from a confrontation between our members,'” Front Office Sports reported.
The good news for Cunningham is that the WNBPA does not have full control over her or her business opportunities. Front Office Sports added that the Fever star “can still independently license the moment.”
The WNBPA has established partnerships with several big brands across multiple industries. This includes the likes of NBA 2K, Google Pixel, JPMorgan Chase, L’Oreal, Panini and Wilson, to name a few. Cunningham will not be able to use her pointing meme to partner with these brands.
While this is an unwanted development for the 29-year-old, the silver lining is that she already has a number of endorsement deals in place. Her partners include Adidas, Arby’s and Quest Nutrition, among others. These were all established even before the viral point, which has undoubtedly already opened up even more opportunities for Cunningham.
Related reading:
Fever star Sophie Cunningham shows no mercy to kids at basketball camp
Kate Martin had six words for Caitlin Clark on Sunday
Sophie Cunningham clears the air on development away from Fever
Caitlin Clark’s behavior towards Fever teammate Kelsey Mitchell turns heads
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