Sophie Cunningham had an unexpected moment during her appearance on “The Colin Cowherd Podcast” when the conversation shifted away from basketball and toward how she is viewed around the WNBA.
Cunningham joined Colin Cowherd to discuss the relaunch of her podcast, which has changed from “Show Me Something” to “No Hesitation.”
The new version will feature basketball trainer Drew Hanlen as her co-host and place a greater emphasis on basketball.
During the conversation, Cowherd hesitated while trying to describe Cunningham’s public image.
“You are kind of viewed a little bit as the league’s … ummm,” Cowherd said, searching for the best way to phrase his question.
“Just say it,” Cunningham replied. “I don’t care.”
“Sex symbol,” he responded, before asking if that was a fair assessment.
Cunningham appeared relieved by the description and said she had expected Cowherd to take the conversation somewhere else.
“That is way better,” said Cunningham. “I thought you were gonna go somewhere completely different.”
Cowherd also discussed Cunningham’s reputation as a physical and outspoken player, including her willingness to stand up for teammates on the court.
At the same time, he noted the attention she gives to her appearance and fashion when arriving at games.
“You’re tough. You’ll fight anybody. You’ll taunt anybody,” Cowherd said. “But you’ll make sure, coming into the arena, ‘I look good, and I want you to know…’”
Cunningham has received increased attention away from basketball as well. She appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue and also served as an impromptu ring girl at UFC 329.
The 30-year-old said she sees no contradiction between presenting herself in a feminine way and maintaining the aggressive personality she displays on the basketball court.
“For some reason, our society, if you play basketball, you can’t dress that way, or you can’t be girly,” Cunningham said.
“No one’s ever said it, but it’s like, they kind of feel that you can’t be both. Screw all that. Yes, you can. You can be girly, and you can go out and kick someone’s ass.”
