USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Sophie Cunningham’s popularity continues to skyrocket.
Last month, Cunningham went extremely viral with her pointing meme on social media. Unfortunately, the WNBA player’s association told Cunningham that they wouldn’t allow brands to use the pointing meme in advertisements because she did it while mocking one of her opponents.
Via CBS Sports
The WNBPA has a group licensing agreement that allows official business partners to use players’ name, image and likeness without having to negotiate with each player. Those partners include NBA 2K, Fathead, Lids, NewEra and Panini. However, there are limits on what those partners can create and sell.
“For licensed apparel, we generally do not feature or look to monetize player conduct from a confrontation between our members,” a WNBPA spokesperson told Front Office Sports.
Despite the WNBPA’s decision, Cunningham’s business is still booming.
Ahead of this weekend’s WNBA All-Star game, Cunningham and Adidas released the Crazy Energy Sophie Cunningham basketball shoe. The shoes immediately sold out in a matter of hours on adidas’ website.
The adidas Crazy Energy Sophie Cunningham basketball shoes were released for $110 in adult sizes in the early hours of Friday, July 24. The sneakers have already sold out on the adidas website.
Cunningham also recently went viral when she spoke about “protecting girls from youth trans athletes” in an interview with ESPN.
“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I’m like, ‘I never once said that,’” she says. “I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.” [via ESPN]