Sophie Cunningham has long been a lightning rod for attention, both on and off the court. Back in her college days with Missouri, some fans even tagged her with the nickname “MAGA Barbie.” She never confirmed or denied it, but the label followed her into her pro career.
On Monday, The New York Times ran a piece digging into her political views. Sophie Cunningham, now with the Indiana Fever, made it clear that she doesn’t see herself as leaning hard in either direction.
“I’m clearly white and from Missouri, and so I think there was a lot of assumption there,” she said. “All I have to say is I really am right in the middle, and I think a lot of America is like that.”
She continued, “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.”
The “MAGA Barbie” label gained traction after Cunningham shared a few Instagram stories that some took as digs at Kamala Harris, leading to speculation she was aligned with Republicans. The guard said the chatter is part of being in the spotlight but insisted she won’t let it change who she is.
Skip Bayless suggests Sophie Cunningham is taking advantage of Caitlin Clark’s popularity
Politics aren’t the only storyline surrounding Sophie Cunningham. Just last month, she found herself in the middle of another debate after Skip Bayless suggested she was riding Caitlin Clark’s popularity.
Cunningham had pushed back on Bayless earlier in the summer through her Show Me Something podcast, where she dismissed his take on Clark needing a “mental break” as “literally bulls**t.”
Bayless later doubled down: “She quickly befriended Caitlin (Clark); that was smart. And then she assumed the role of Caitlin’s on-court and in interviews defender and protector, or public defender. … Then, with the spotlight shining on Sophie 100 times better than ever before, she started making grand entrances into arenas, wearing spicy outfits, some of them provocative and very cool.”
Cunningham hasn’t answered his latest jab, but her history suggests she won’t back down from the noise—whether it’s about her politics, her fashion, or her friendships.
For more basketball content, click on Hardwood Heroics. Sabel Reyes can be reached through sabelreyes22@gmail.com. Other websites under the Sports Heroics umbrella are Gridiron Heroics and Wisconsin Heroics.
Sabel has been working as a field reporter for People’s Television Network (PTV), mainly about the Philippine Basketball Association since 2016 and has been elevated to Executive Producer for sports in 2022. Aside from being on top of the Philippine sports scene, she is also a running enthusiast. You can also follow her on X at @SabelReyes2 and Instagram at @msabelreyes.
