Why the WNBA Won't Monetize Sophie Cunningham's Viral Point

When will the WNBA ever learn?

Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham broke the internet after a viral dust up with Phoenix Mercury player DeWanna Bonner. During the on court argument, Cunningham pointed at Bonner, who was insisting that the Fever guard stop pointing at her.

The 22-second point took the internet by storm and strengthened Cunningham’s status as a fan favorite and one of the more recognizable stars in the WNBA.

But according to Front Office Sports, the WNBA’s Player’s Association is prohibiting the league or their partners from monetizing Cunningham’s viral point. According to Darren Rovell, the famous point isn’t allowed to be used in merchandising as it was viewed as "derogatory."

“For licensed apparel, we generally do not feature or look to monetize player conduct from a confrontation between our members,” a statement from the WNBA said.

Cunningham has her fans and her haters. She’s one of the more polarizing figures in the sport, and this moment certainly magnified her persona. So, why wouldn’t the WNBA want to lean into this moment?

Of course, sportsmanship is important.

Like any sport, these women could be role models for little girls everywhere. Certainly, youth girls basketball coaches probably don’t want their student athletes to point in the face of their opponent during the heat of battle.

But this is professional sports. Sometimes, the badass moments are what make sport great.

According to Fever reporter Scott Agness, at Cunningham’s recent youth camp, each camper was allowed to take a photo with the 29-year-old.

“And as you’d expect, they all want to do the signature point,” Agness posted on X.

See, nobody was outraged. In fact, the children were smiling! Imagine that.

Some people that stumbled across the Cunningham point meme might not even realize that the clip came as a result of an on-court confrontation. And even if they were aware that the moment was during a dust up, does anyone really think pointing at another athlete is really that derogatory?

It feels like the players association stepping in here is just an overstep. So what if a t-shirt company makes a few bucks by creating an illustration of this moment? If anything, it’ll put more money in Cunningham’s pocket, as certainly there are plenty of brands who would be tripping over themselves to use her likeness.

Instead, if you want a t-shirt of Cunningham pointing, you’ll have to trust a boot-legged source. Of course, Cunningham won’t see a dime of those sales, but the players association is too concerned with protecting… what?