Sophie Cunningham Reacts to Colin Cowherd’s “Sex Symbol” Label
· Yahoo Sports
Sophie Cunningham has spent this season becoming one of the most talked about names in the WNBA, on and off the court. The Indiana Fever guard closed out August riding a historic four game run of 100 point wins, the best stretch of the Caitlin Clark era. Now a podcast appearance has fans buzzing for a very different reason.
Colin Cowherd Crowns Sophie Cunningham the League’s “Sex Symbol”
Cunningham appeared on The Colin Cowherd Podcast this week, timed to the launch of her own new show, No Hesitation, under the same Volume network. The conversation took an unexpected turn when the 62 year old host hesitated before labeling her.
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“Just say it,” Cunningham told him. “I don’t care.” Cowherd replied, “Sex symbol.”
Jun 20, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) reacts to a foul call during the game against the Atlanta Dream during the second quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn ImagesRather than bristle, Cunningham leaned in. “For some reason, our society, if you play basketball, you can’t dress that way, or you can’t be girly,” she said.
She added that toughness and femininity are not opposites, arguing players can look polished walking into an arena and still be physical once the game starts.
Colin Cowherd shot his shot with Sophie Cunningham
“You are kind of a sex symbol. You’re tough, you’ll fight anybody, you’ll taunt anybody…”
“But you’ll make sure coming into the arena, ‘I look good, and I want you to know I look good.’” pic.twitter.com/VVEFNSI4fw
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) September 11, 2026
Her willingness to engage with the label, rather than reject it, has driven much of the reaction online, with some calling the exchange awkward given Cowherd’s stake in her podcast’s success.
Cunningham has embraced her push for more WNBA media coverage as the league’s visibility keeps growing.
Cunningham Keeps Leaning Into the Spotlight
This is not the first time Cunningham’s off court presence has generated headlines this month. She recently raised the championship problem she flagged for the Fever heading into the postseason stretch, and weighed in on her comments on the WNBA’s leadership shakeup following Cathy Engelbert’s exit.
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham interacts with young basketball players during a youth basketball camp for students in grades 1-8 at Aletto Family Sports Center in Carmel, Indiana, on Sunday, July 19, 2026. The camp gave participants the opportunity to develop their basketball skills through drills, instruction and games while learning from one of the WNBA’s most popular players.Her fashion sense has drawn attention before the Cowherd interview too, including her recent pregame fashion moment that circulated widely on social media.
Cunningham said, “I’ve always been super girly,” pointing to a longstanding personal style rather than a new persona built for cameras.
The Fever return from the WNBA’s World Cup break at 26-14, fighting for playoff position behind Minnesota. Indiana opens the stretch run on September 18 against the expansion Toronto Tempo, before closing with two meetings against the league leading Lynx.
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