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The WNBA Players Association is reportedly refusing to allow its licensed business partners to monetize Sophie Cunningham's viral pointing gesture at Phoenix Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner, with the union reportedly labeling the moment "derogatory."
The incident occurred during a June 24 game between the Fever and Mercury, when Cunningham pointed at Bonner for 22 seconds following an on-court scuffle. The confrontation came shortly after Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas made contact with Caitlin Clark's throat during a separate play, a moment that led to Thomas's retroactive suspension.
Cunningham's gesture quickly spread across social media, becoming one of the most recognizable images in the league this season, and was even shared by the official White House X account in a video juxtaposing Cunningham's point with President Trump making a similar gesture.
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According to sports business reporter Darren Rovell, the WNBPA is "prohibiting licensees" from using imagery of Cunningham's point in officially licensed products.
The union did not dispute that characterization when asked by Front Office Sports, with a spokesperson saying, "For licensed apparel, we generally do not feature or look to monetize player conduct from a confrontation between our members."
The WNBPA's group licensing agreement allows partner brands, including 2K, Panini, Breaking T, Lids, New Era, Aflac, and JPMorgan Chase, to license player likenesses without negotiating individually with each athlete.
However, the union's decision not to approve this particular image for its official partners does not prevent Cunningham from pursuing her own deals.
Players retain the right to license their own name, image, and likeness independently, even with brands that are otherwise union partners, so long as the resulting products don't include official WNBA or team logos or branding, which would require separate league approval.
"Players are of course free to create and/or license their own product," the union told Front Office Sports. It remains unclear whether Cunningham has entered into any formal agreements to monetize the moment herself, though unlicensed merchandise featuring her point has already appeared for sale through platforms like Etsy, TeePublic and Shein.
Cunningham has continued to embrace the attention the moment has generated, regardless of the union's stance. She has since appeared as a guest ring girl at UFC 329, made a talk show appearance, and referenced the incident in various media appearances.
Asked directly about the White House sharing the clip, Cunningham downplayed any political significance to the attention. "I think everyone around the world is posting it," she told reporters. "Every company has done it. They're just the one to also get on board, and so I didn't really think twice about it. I think they're just another group who is posting about it."
The situation echoes a similar moment from 2021, when Kahleah Copper's stare-down with Cunningham during the WNBA Finals went viral, with Copper later releasing her own T-shirts capitalizing on that moment independently of league licensing.
Cunningham, who is averaging 9.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists this season while shooting 43.7 percent from three-point range, ninth-best in the league, has seen her profile grow substantially since the incident, gaining nearly a million Instagram followers in the weeks that followed.
