WNBA fans showed plenty of love for Sophie Cunningham after she backed Michael Porter Jr.’s recent comments about women’s basketball—and the league as a whole.
Porter chopped it up with Lonzo and LaMelo Ball about his younger days, saying that back in seventh and eighth grade, he’d scrimmage with Missouri’s women’s team and felt like he could hang with them, sometimes even take over.
Cunningham, who also came up through Mizzou, didn’t dance around it.
“I mean, it’s probably true,” Cunningham said. “I don’t want to be like unrealistic or delusional, like men are just stronger, bigger, athletic. Like they just are a different build. And if so, if you put them up against females, well, yeah, they’re going to win.”
Sophie Cunningham on MPJ saying he could’ve beat a WNBA team when he was in 8th grade:
“I mean, it’s probably true.”
(via @ShowMe_Pod, h/t @YahooSports) pic.twitter.com/M3wrxWytkF
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) November 23, 2025
That kind of blunt honesty sat well with plenty of fans, who understood the point both were making.
“finally a wnba player who’s realistic lmao,” a fan posted.
Another added, “This is why we have women’s sports. To watch the very best women in the world show us their talent and skill.”
A third joked, “8th grade MPJ vs a full WNBA roster sounds like the sequel to Space Jam nobody asked for—but I’d still buy front row tickets.”
For many, Cunningham simply acknowledged a physical gap that exists between the men’s and women’s game, and the straightforwardness was refreshing.
“Bringing up CBA negotiations at a charity event is just low class”: WNBA fans push back at Sophie Cunningham
But not everyone has been as quick to cheer her on. Just a couple of weeks earlier, she caught heat for a completely different moment.
During the Annika Pro-Am—where Caitlin Clark had Cunningham and Lexie Hull on her bag—a Fever supporter shouted that both Cunningham and Hull should re-sign with Indiana. Cunningham shot back, “Tell them to pay us,” throwing a nod to WNBA compensation and the ongoing CBA negotiations.
That answer didn’t exactly hit the mark with some in the crowd or online.
One fan said, “The more she opens her mouth these days, the less I like her. Bringing up CBA negotiations at a charity event where her Caitlin is playing, to which she’s been invited as a guest, is just low class.”
The more she opens her mouth these days, the less I like her. Bringing up CBA negotiations at a charity event where her Caitlin is playing, to which she’s been invited as a guest, is just low class. 👎
— CharlieBMan (@CharlieBMa58094) November 12, 2025
Another wrote, “Pay for what? Playing at the skill level of a middle school boys team?”
And someone else added, “I love Sophie but please read the room. A fan is just stating they want the 3 together but she had to bring up contract during fun time. I love her but sometimes her mouth is overboard.”
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.
