She’s not here, but she’s here. She won’t be seen on the court during the events of WNBA All-Star Weekend or in the game, but she’ll be felt. Presence (not pomp) and circumstance carry substance, as they often apprentice popularity.
Sophie the Great. The protector to her teammate’s (Caitlin Clark) perceived privilege and pedestal. The Billie Eilish to Taylor Swift. The bad ‘‘girl.’’ Hailed as a ‘‘hero’’ and ‘‘anti-Megan Rapinoe’’ by Clay Travis, Sophie Cunningham, in all of her anti-trans misquoted splendor, feminized alt-femmephilia, anti-put in anyone’s mislabeled box, has reached ‘‘it’’ status.
Dana White and Morgan Wallen fanboy alignments. The MAGA Barbie moniker. Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue fame. It all fits for the heaven-sent tsunami of a MAGA-propagated athlete being catapulted into the spotlight as the new embodiment and human brand image of a racially charged, capitalistic and nationalistic movement.
She’s perfect.
A one-woman referendum. The ‘‘I stand on what I said’’ controversy about her overall beliefs against transgender athletes participating in women’s sports. (Where she also said she believes her stance is ‘‘common sense.’’) The controversy surrounding the WNBA players’ union gangster-ing the rights of her ‘‘finger pointing’’ viral image that became (so far) the meme of this sports-as-political-messaging summer. Her ‘‘controversial’’ adidas signature PE color way (not signature sneaker, big difference; plus, Satou Sabally has the same Crazy Energy adidas model PE named after her dropping, but no one is making a big deal about that?) that impelled Jemele Hill to capture Cunningham’s ‘‘moment’’ to perfection: ‘‘Rarely do you see someone who’s career average is eight points per game receive this level of attention. I think she’s fiery, outspoken, she’s very aware of being a media darling right now and looking to capitalize on this, and understands that entertainment is a part of her game.’’
The controversy last year that swirled around the ‘‘hurtful’’ and false allegations that she publicly had to answer about a lawsuit claiming she had an affair when she played for the Mercury with Suns CEO Josh Bartelstein.
Is this meteoric Sophie moment ephemeral? Doubt it. Especially if she plays it right, plays well and stays in front of who she is before the outside world (her followers and Clark ‘‘enablers’’) get in front of her for her. She, more than Caitlin, is positioning herself to be the face of a movement. We are watching a player in real time find her calling while a calling within society finds her.
She just might be the only living being now with more hype around her than Jimothy.
She’s being positioned to represent a side of one culture the same way Allen Iverson was for an entire other side of a whole other culture. But she doesn’t have the MVP or potential Hall of Fame career (yet) to match. The fringe version, the aesthetic version. The one that, in basketball circles, has nothing to do with basketball. One, though, that is very real and carries with it power that has the power to keep her game secondary. Transformative power.
Despite her very much centrist and down-the-middle public statement on her political affiliation and association — she was quoted in an ESPN feature as saying, ‘‘I’m very much in the middle. I agree with things on both sides, disagree with things on both sides. And that’s all I’ve ever said about my political beliefs. But people love to assume.’’ — Cunningham’s ‘‘presence’’ and ‘‘acceptance’’ of where society seems to be placing her and what that placement represents seem to identify with something different.
Something she has chosen not to claim, acknowledge or officially embrace but may soon no longer be her decision to make. Making her ‘‘Screw that, I’m gonna be me’’ approach an easy target for an ideology desperate to find and use a female athlete (specifically, a binary, White, outspoken basketball player) as their un-woke mouthpiece.
Something, apparently, she’s going to allow society to choose for her about her. Which can be a dangerous game to play. Whom she really is and whom she’s presented and positioned to be may soon no longer be Sophie’s choice. Unlike the fan base that has adopted her, the ‘‘game’’ doesn’t discriminate when it gets to the level Cunningham’s entering.
Columbian (Mo.) Sophie. The spicy one. She got the jazz. (Oh, that one will go way over most of y’all’s heads.) CC22’s 4:44. Her conscious. As they watch and covet the throne.
As she has become the glass-half-empty, right-leaning-affiliated version (Clark is the glass-half-full version) of the fight the WNBA refuses to fight. Soon to be the W’s Kristi Noem (former ICE Barbie, president enforcer, etc.) if Sophie’s not careful.
What Sophie Cunningham’s ‘‘rock star’’ ascension says about us is less important than what it can and more than likely will say about her. The impact, support, thirst, enthusiasm, excitement and power all bestowed on her — and now through her — with reason will ultimately dictate what she’ll eventually stand to represent. As long as she’s cool with knowing both what and whom she’s about to become.
Because Barbies, we all know, can be a toy or a weapon.