WNBA players have spent years fighting to be recognized for what they do on the court. Yet even as interest in the league continues to grow, conversations around it are still often pulled toward stereotypes about players' sexuality and relationships rather than basketball.
And Sophie Cunningham experienced that reality firsthand whens she appeared on Theo Von's "This Past Weekend" podcast.
Although the 30-year-old guard made it clear that she appreciated Von's personality, she admitted that she was bothered by how frequently the comedian steered their conversation toward the WNBA's dating scene, particularly its lesbian relationships.
Put simply, for Cunningham, there was much more to discuss about the league than the romantic lives of its players.
"He has such a good heart. I really loved him; I had a great time with him. But then he kept coming back to, like, lesbians," Cunningham said. "I'm like, 'Dude! There's so much more to our league than that.'"
Cunningham has never been shy about expressing her opinions and she was equally candid during her conversation with Von.
The Fever guard acknowledged that the WNBA has its share of complicated dating dynamics, with players sometimes finding themselves competing against former partners or even becoming teammates after relationships end.
Moreover, Sophie also discussed how relationships between players can become complicated when multiple people are involved or when dating drama follows them from one team to another.
However, Von repeatedly returned to the subject of sexuality, seemingly unable to move beyond that particular aspect of the league, even bringing up the "lesbian mafia" in the WNBA.
"You sort of wonder how much of that lesbian-esponague is going out there, you know," Von said. "Is there a lesbian mafia in the league? Is there any animosity between someone who is straight, bi, or gay?"
Even more notably, things had extended to such an extent that Cunningham protested to clarify her own interest in men, making her own sexual orientation clear during the discussion with Von.
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Despite being bothered by how frequently Von returned to her subject, Cunningham made it clear that she had no personal issue with him asking questions or exploring the WNBA's dating culture.
In fact, she emphasized that she understood his intentions and even enjoyed herself after wrapping up the episode.
"He's just… he's hilarious and like he doesn't mean any harm by anything. His intent is just funny and good and he loves people, and I had a great time with him truly," Cunningham added. "Then later that night, I went to his show. He did a couple of shows, so I brought all my friends, and we all went there, and we kicked it with him for a little bit. It was just a really fun night."
That being said, Sophie is comfortable addressing stereotypes surrounding the WNBA, but her frustration is with how easily every conversation about the league becomes centered on players' sexuality, rather than their basketball abilities.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
