Sophie Cunningham is the opposite of most WNBA players. And that's why she is a megastar | Bobby Burack

WNBA guard Sophie Cunningham is a megastar.Of course she is. She's attractive, funny, charismatic and relentlessly positive.

Cunningham is reportedly set to sign a signature shoe deal with Adidas. Over the weekend, she worked as a ring girl at UFC 329.HERE IS THE REAL REASON WHY THEY HATE CAITLIN CLARK SO MUCH | BOBBY BURACKSome corners of the WNBA community are bothered by Cunningham's popularity.

Critics argue she's merely a role player whose on-court production doesn't justify that level of fame.Maybe it doesn't.But marketability is not an athletic competition.

It's a popularity contest. In terms of the WNBA, Cunningham is winning that contest.The WNBA entered the mainstream in 2024 with the arrival of Caitlin Clark, Cunningham's eventual Fever teammate.

For many players, Clark's debut marked their first real introduction to a national audience.Instead of using that spotlight to win over new fans, however, players such as Angel Reese, Chennedy Carter, DiJonai Carrington and Alyssa Thomas projected bitterness and hostility toward the league's biggest attraction.They made themselves part of the story through hard fouls, cheap shots and social media potshots aimed at Clark.

That became their first impression.Reese reinforced that perception by promoting claims of widespread racist abuse that the WNBA later said it could not substantiate. Others rushed to social media to portray themselves as victims of online harassment.

It quickly became clear that many WNBA players were deeply unlikeable. They came across as catty, bitter and racially charged. The same players driving fists and nails into Clark's body would often claim victimhood days later.

The more attention Clark brought to the league, the more many of its players tarnished their own public image.Then there was Sophie Cunningham.After nearly two seasons of WNBA players targeting Clark, Cunningham stepped in last June.

Connecticut's Marina Mabrey shoved Clark to the floor. Jacy Sheldon then raked Clark across the