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Sophie Cunningham on being labeled "MAGA Barbie": "You have to be an extremist...that's just not me"
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- Sophie Cunningham on being labeled "MAGA Barbie": "You have to be an extremist...that's just not me"
Sophie Cunningham has become one of the WNBA's most talked-about players over the past year. Much of that attention came from the way she backed Indiana Fever teammate Caitlin Clark whenever things got physical on the court.
The Missouri native embraced that role, never hesitating to stand up for her teammates, which quickly made her a favorite among a section of basketball fans. But along with that popularity came plenty of assumptions about her personal beliefs.
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As Cunningham 's following continued to grow, some fans on social media began referring to her as "MAGA Barbie," linking her to President Donald Trump. But when she was asked about the nickname last year, the Fever guard made it clear that the label didn't reflect where she exactly stands politically.
Cunningham's "MAGA Barbie" label
The nickname came up during her first season with Clark, when anything that the Fever did made headlines. To date, many fans believe that Clark gets physical treatment like no other on the court. Some of them attempted to frame it as being racially motivated, although no evidence ever supported those claims.
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Cunningham found herself pulled into those discussions simply because of the way she had Clark's back and where she came from.
"I'm clearly white and from Missouri, and so I think there was a lot of assumption there," Cunningham said in an interview with The New York Times last year.
Even though she acknowledged why people may have reached that conclusion, she also said she doesn't see herself fitting into either political camp.
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"All I have to say is I really am right in the middle, and I think a lot of America is like that," Cunningham added. "In our culture today you have to choose and you have to be an extremist, and that's just not me. So I agree with things on both sides; I disagree with things on both sides."
Cunningham also admitted she doesn't spend much time thinking about how people perceive her politically. She understands that a star like her will always be discussed away from the court, but she has never suggested that outside opinions influence how she approaches her life or career.
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White House post put Cunningham back into the MAGA conversation
The political discussion resurfaced recently after the White House's official account joined one of the biggest sports memes.
The trend started during a game in late June when Sophie pointed her finger at Phoenix Mercury star DeWanna Donner during an on-court exchange. The brief moment quickly went viral with sports pages, brands and content creators putting their own spin on it.
On June 30, even the White House shared its own version. The post included a clip from Sophie's podcast discussing the moment, followed by a video of President Trump pointing toward the camera during one of his campaigns.
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That naturally led to questions about whether Cunningham had any involvement with the post or approved its use. But she made it clear that she didn't see it any differently from the countless other accounts.
"I think everyone around the world is posting it," Cunningham said . "Every company has done it. So I don't really think twice about it. I just think they're another group posting about it."
The response was quite similar to what she said a year ago.
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Despite the labels that have followed her, Cunningham has continued to describe herself as someone who sits in the middle politically rather than choosing a side.
Related: "It's a joke" - Sophie Cunningham exposes WNBA's biggest Caitlin Clark problem
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jul 11, 2026, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
