Sophie Cunningham must leave Fever ‘circus’ so team can focus on basketball, says The Athletic columnist

“If the Fever ever want to become a basketball team again and follow the lead of rivals who openly clash with the forces trying to hijack their league, then (Sophie) Cunningham must go.”

– The Athletic’s Candace Buckner

Many in the media truly despise Cunningham and his supporters. The future WNBA free agent is probably the second most popular player in the league, and perhaps the less popular in certain press circles.

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham reacts to a referee’s call Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, during Game 2 of the first round of the WNBA playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)

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She’s pretty. She calls out some of the media’s most sacred issues and cows. And she really doesn’t care what the critics think. It’s a combo that will quickly put your mug on a reporter’s dart board.

On Tuesday morning, Buckner was the latest to attack Cunningham in a column as hostile as it was hyperbolic. His thesis was that the “combustible” guard had become too much of a distraction for the Fever to prioritize basketball.

“This was the season where the Fever and even all of Caitlin Clark’s experience took a backseat to a bench player with big opinions,” Buckner wrote.

Big opinions, huh? Like what?

Sophie Cunningham #8 of the Indiana Fever arrives at Michelob ULTRA Arena for Game 1 of the first round of the 2026 WNBA Playoffs against the Las Vegas Aces on September 27, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Getty Images)

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Like Cunningham, who thinks biological males should be separated from females in sports? This is a point that the vast majority of the country – including the majority of Democrats – agrees with. And it’s not like Cunningham took a megaphone to announce his position to the world. She simply answered a question on the subject in an interview with ESPN and stood by it after some boos and backlash.

Or that she thinks WNBA players should have thicker skin? Players have complained about online harassment throughout the season. And last week, Aces forward A’ja Wilson furiously lunged at a Fever fan after he pointed at her and said “that (foul) is on you.”

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Center A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces speaks to the referees after confronting a fan during the first round of the 2026 WNBA playoffs against the Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. (IMAGINE IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

But on her podcast Sunday, Cunningham called out Wilson and said that if WNBA players want to be held in the same respect as their male counterparts, they must learn to accept the heat that comes with being a professional athlete.

“I’ve probably had s… over the whole season, maybe sometimes two seasons of people attacking who I am, my character, xyz and I can go on and on,” Cunningham said. “I’ve heard the worst of the worst, that’s part of it.”

These are not the words of a woman devoid of empathy. These are the words of a woman who speaks candidly about the cost of the spotlight.

And fans can’t get enough of her.

Cunningham’s signature sneakers were sold out on the Adidas website from day one. She is regularly asked for autographs, which she signs with a constant smile. She has 4.4 million followers on TikTok and 4.3 million on Instagram.

She is not “combustible” – she is loved. At least by those who don’t write about sports for a living.

Buckner said Cunningham’s stances spawned a “circus” due to the presence of figures such as women’s sports activist Riley Gaines — whom the author calls a “one-hit wonder” — attending his games. She added that the Trump administration’s X account sharing the Cunningham meme was a sign that “things have taken a bad turn.” She also seemed to justify Wilson’s behavior towards the aforementioned fan, arguing that Wilson was yelling at all Fans in fever because of “trans fear that overshadowed games for a long part of the season.”

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What are the kids saying these days? “Of course, Jan.”

This goes back to a point I made last week: The main reason sportswriters look down on Cunningham fans is because they are perceived as conservative. But Buckner doesn’t seem to like the person these fans are supporting much better.

As for where Sophie should play next, Buckner wrote: “Go to Chicago or Portland. Or maybe Toronto could use a 30-year-old unrestricted free agent who averages less than 8 points per game, while her latest TikTok videos are good for about 2 million views. Or maybe Cleveland’s expansion can take her to 2028, unless, of course, she hasn’t already given up basketball entirely by then to become a professional UFC ring girl, or a full-time finger pointer.”

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Sorry, but this is pure resentment. For starters, Cunningham is actually an effective bench player, with her three-point percentage (.419) being fifth in the WNBA this season and her true shooting percentage (.654) being third. And second, it’s a big deal that she has a huge following on TikTok or did a one-trick ring girl spot at a UFC event. That’s what we call having fun. And if you think Cunningham is the only WNBA player using sex appeal to attract attention, take a look at the outfits some of her peers wear in the arena.

The truth is this: The Fever are out of the playoffs because they lost to a superior team in the Aces. Wilson — arguably the best player in the WNBA — had 36 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks to oust Indiana in the final game of a best-of-three.

It wasn’t because of fans wearing XX-XY shirts. It was just Xs and Os.

I can’t help but return to the quote at the top of this column about how Fever fans are trying to “hijack” the WNBA. No, fever fans are look the WNBA, something that didn’t happen before.

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The problem for some players and writers is that these fans threaten the political homogeneity of a league long devoted to left-wing ideals. Cunningham’s critics will say she leads a cult. The reality is that it is breakup worship.