SerpApi.Org
One finger point was all it took for Sophie Cunningham to become one of the internet’s favorite sports memes.
The Indiana Fever guard went viral after a heated moment with Phoenix Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner during Indiana’s 86-77 win over Phoenix on June 22. Cunningham’s silent point at Bonner lasted roughly 22 seconds, according to People, and quickly became one of the most shared WNBA reaction images of the week.
The moment worked because it was simple. Cunningham did not need a long quote, a postgame rant or a highlight-reel play. The image said everything. Fans turned it into jokes about being called out, caught in the act or singled out in everyday situations.
Then the meme jumped sports.
Fightful posted that Chelsea Green and Tiffany Stratton “pulled a Sophie Cunningham” during a six-woman tag team match on “SmackDown,” giving the WNBA meme a second life inside WWE.
That is when the Cunningham meme became more than a WNBA joke. WWE is built on staredowns, taunts and exaggerated reactions, so the gesture fit naturally. What began as an on-court exchange became a wrestling-language moment almost immediately.
The crossover did not stop there. John Cena also shared the Sophie Cunningham meme on Instagram, putting the WNBA moment in front of a massive pop-culture and wrestling audience.
Cunningham has also seen the reaction. Yahoo Sports posted a reel noting that she had seen the memes of herself and even had a favorite.
There is a reason the moment traveled so far. The best sports memes do not require much explanation. Cunningham’s point was competitive, funny, confrontational and instantly reusable.
It also showed how quickly women’s sports moments now move across the internet. A WNBA exchange became a meme. The meme reached WWE. Then John Cena helped push it even further into mainstream sports entertainment.
For Cunningham, the viral moment was not about leading the box score.
It was about creating the image everyone remembered.
