Sophie Cunningham did not flinch when Colin Cowherd ventured into potentially uncomfortable territory.
During an appearance on “The Colin Cowherd Podcast,” the veteran host hesitated before describing the Indiana Fever guard as something of the WNBA’s “sex symbol.”
Cunningham immediately broke the tension.
“Just say it. I don’t care,” she told Cowherd before laughing when he finally used the term.
“That is way better,” Cunningham said. “I thought you were going to go somewhere completely different with this, so I’ll take it.”
But Cunningham’s answer quickly became about something bigger than a label.
The 30-year-old explained that her game-day fashion, femininity and willingness to embrace the spotlight are not at odds with the physical edge that has helped define her WNBA career.
“Screw all that,” Cunningham said of the idea that basketball players cannot be feminine. “Yes, you can. You can be girly and you can go out and kick someone’s ass.”
Cowherd’s interview with Cunningham was released this week through The Volume, the media company that is also home to Cunningham’s new basketball-focused podcast, “No Hesitation.”
Sophie Cunningham Wants Young Girls to See ‘You Can Have Both’
Cunningham said she has loved dresses, high heels and getting dressed up since childhood, but believes female basketball players historically have faced an unspoken expectation that athleticism and femininity must exist separately.
She wants younger players to see otherwise.
“I have a lot of young girls who are girly, who are raised like I was, who have aspirations to be where I’m at,” Cunningham told Cowherd. “They’re like, ‘Oh, well, can I do both?’”
Her answer was unequivocal.
“You can have both,” Cunningham said.
That message comes as WNBA tunnel fashion has increasingly become part of the league’s culture. Players’ pregame outfits routinely circulate across team and league social-media accounts, giving athletes another avenue to express themselves and develop their personal brands. The Los Angeles Times documented the rapid growth of the WNBA tunnel walk last year, with players describing fashion as an increasingly visible piece of the game-day experience.
Cunningham has taken advantage of that growing platform.
She made her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit debut in 2026 alongside Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier and Olympic sprinter Melissa Jefferson-Wooden.
Cunningham Sees Fashion as Business Opportunity
Cunningham also acknowledged that her game-day looks are not purely about personal expression.
Earlier in her career, she said, players often arrived at arenas wearing sweats and clothes that looked almost indistinguishable from pajamas.
Now?
With considerably more attention surrounding the WNBA, Cunningham sees the tunnel as valuable real estate.
“Why would I not maximize my opportunity?” she said. “If people are seeing how I dress, well, guess what? That’s business.”
Cunningham said clothing companies now send her outfits and pursue partnerships because of that exposure.
Her visibility has grown alongside her role in Indiana. Cunningham is averaging 8.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists this season for the Fever. The former Missouri standout is in her seventh professional season after Indiana acquired her from Phoenix in a four-team trade in 2025.
Cowherd may have framed the conversation around Cunningham’s status as a supposed “sex symbol.”
Cunningham’s response was considerably broader.
She is comfortable being tough, feminine, marketable and unapologetically herself — all at the same time.
Fever Star Sophie Cunningham Responds to Colin Cowherd Calling Her WNBA’s ‘Sex Symbol’