Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) points to Phoenix Mercury forward-guard DeWanna Bonner (24) after an argument broke out Monday, June 22, 2026, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Indiana Fever defeated the Phoenix Mercury, 86-77.
Indiana Fever veteran guard Sophie Cunningham is currently in the midst of the best year of her eight-year WNBA career.
Cunningham leads the league in 3-point percentage at 43.7% and has become a massive asset to a Fever team still trying to find its best style of play.
But while her play on the court has stepped up, Cunningham recently went viral for an entirely different reason following an altercation with former teammate DeWanna Bonner.
Cunningham and Bonner got into an altercation in a game between the Fever and the Phoenix Mercury and needed to be separated by officials. But as they were, Cunningham began to point directly at Bonner … and she just kept pointing, for what felt like an eternity.
The moment quickly became a meme, with fans of all ages getting in on the fun.
Every camper gets a photo with Cunningham. And, as you’d expect, they all want to do the signature point pic.twitter.com/PICkbLpY7B
— Scott Agness (@ScottAgness) July 19, 2026
There’s just one big problem with the entire thing.
WNBPA Rules Prevent Sophie Cunningham From Capitalizing On Pointing Me
If Cunningham was hoping to make money off the moment, either by selling merchandise or having the point put on a trading card, she’s not actually allowed to do so.
The Women’s National Basketball Players Association prohibits business licensees from using the Cunningham point because the union reportedly considers the moment “derogatory.”
If that sounds absurd to you, know that you’re not alone.
Imagine if the NBA had prevented Reggie Miller from profiting off his iconic “choke” symbol toward the New York Knicks. Or if Allen Iverson’s famed step-over of Ty Lue was considered “derogatory.”
The WNBA finds itself at a crossroads. Players want to make more money. The league wants to make more money. But both also appear to want to do so without any risk of anyone’s feelings getting hurt, and that’s just not reasonable.
The Cunningham incident isn’t the league’s biggest issue by any means. But it exemplifies just one of the biggest hurdles to it truly becoming mainstream.