RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Indiana Fever bench player Sophie Cunningham has become the second-most-followed WNBA star on Instagram, overtaking teammate Caitlin Clark.
The boom in WNBA attendance and viewership since 2024 is often called the ‘Caitlin Clark effect,’ but it seems Clark’s popularity might soon fall by the wayside compared to her role-playing teammate.
Cunningham has gained over a million followers since taking a stance against trans athletes in the WNBA in late July, with the last month seeing her become one of the most famous athletes in the U.S.
Sophie Cunningham’s 4.1 million followers leave Caitlin Clark in the dust
Cunningham has 4.1 million followers on Instagram as of 6 A.M. (BST) on August 30, while Clark trails at 4 million followers .
Both are behind Angel Reese, who currently has 5.2 million followers, but Cunningham’s recent surge in popularity might threaten Reese’s position as well.
Cunningham has always been popular for a WNBA role player, but her popularity has increased considerably after a political movement emerged around her comments against trans athletes in the WNBA.
There have been pro-and-anti-Cunningham rallies and demonstrations at Fever games for the last month, with a lot of media attention on the league to do something about trans athletes after Cunningham’s comments from July spread like wildfire.
What did Sophie Cunningham say before her popularity exploded?
Cunningham spoke to ESPN in July 2026 and made her stance on trans athletes clear.
Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images
“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I’m like, ‘I never once said that,’ I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think 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.”
While this led to a lot of external support, most WNBA players seemed upset with the comments and the negative attention, with no player coming out and endorsing her opinion.
Even Clark refused to weigh in on this matter politically, as Cunningham was eventually forced to say that she would focus on basketball while making constant references to the ongoing situation.
Cunningham’s open support against trans inclusion in sports has attracted a much bigger fanbase that does not concern itself with on-court performances, which is the opposite of how Clark amassed her followers.
With Clark averaging 22.5 points and 8.4 assists and leading the Fever, while Cunningham is averaging 8.3 points, it’s safe to say that social media followers don’t reflect the talent of the player.
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