Former American swimmer-turned-political activist Riley Gaines has also jumped on the bandwagon of Sophie Cunningham’s newfound popularity. The Indiana Fever guard/forward hosted more than 300 girls and boys in Carmel, Indiana, in a youth basketball camp on Sunday. She even took time to pose with every kid in the camp, and Gaines highlighted that on social media.
Gaines has been a vocal supporter of the Republican Party and President Donald Trump’s MAGA campaign. She was one of the star campaigners of the president in 2024 and has been especially vocal against including transgender women in women’s sports. The former swimmer reshared Fever insider Scott Agness’ clip on X and wrote:
“This is what it’s about.
If the league was smart, they’d lean in to Sophie. Fans love her & young athletes look up to her!”
Most of the kids wanted to take pictures with Cunningham, doing her viral finger-pointing gesture that recently went viral after her on-court tussle with Phoenix Mercury’s DeWanna Bonner. It has significantly raised the Fever player’s popularity among fans. Meanwhile, sportscaster and former coach Dan Dakich also pointed to Cunningham’s growing off-court fame and said she should be considered the “face of the WNBA.”
Moreover, Gaines’ support for Cunningham also carries weight because of the latter being dubbed a “MAGA Barbie” by fans. The name originated due to the forward’s relentless will to protect her teammate, Caitlin Clark, on the court. However, the player addressed the talk around it.
Sophie Cunningham expressed her thoughts on her politically connected moniker
Given that the MAGA campaign is heavily backed by President Donald Trump and his Republican Party, Sophie Cunningham believed that her skin color led fans to make assumptions. In an interview with The New York Times in 2025, Cunningham was asked about her thoughts on the “MAGA Barbie” moniker, and she responded:
“I’m clearly white and from Missouri, and so I think there was a lot of assumption there. All I have to say is I really am right in the middle, and I think a lot of America is like that. 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.”
Sophie Cunningham clarified that she didn’t lean to either side when it comes to politics, but fans have not stopped assuming her beliefs and drawing conclusions based on that. There is no doubt that the Fever forward’s gain in followers would benefit the team and the league.
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