Falcons’ Sophie Cunningham meme post sparks backlash from WNBA fans originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Sophie Cunningham pointing meme has become one of the biggest viral trends in sports social media, with everyone from fans to professional sports teams putting their own spin on the now-famous image. That included the Atlanta Falcons.
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The NFL franchise recently shared a post using Cunningham’s viral pointing meme with the caption, “Us when someone says ‘Wo Dt,'” taking a playful shot at NFC South rival New Orleans Saints fans. While the meme itself quickly caught attention, the reaction underneath the post wasn’t what the Falcons likely expected.
Falcons face criticism for using Sophie Cunningham meme
Instead of embracing the joke, many fans questioned why the Falcons chose to use an Indiana Fever player in the post when Atlanta is home to one of the WNBA’s top teams. Several replies called on the Falcons to show more support for the Atlanta Dream, who have emerged as one of the league’s top contenders this season.
Among the responses:
“cant even post your own city’s team but will post a bum from Indy.”
“Ngl why the [expletive] would you post this when the ATLANTA DREAM play in the same city.”
“She had 2 pts in that game btw. Meanwhile The Dream are having their best season in years.”
“So embarrassing take this down and support your own team.”
“There wasn’t a Hawks or Dream clip for this?”
“Dream been hooping all season and ya’ll ain’t posted nun.”
The criticism centered less on Cunningham herself and more on the Falcons’ decision to feature an Indiana Fever player instead of highlighting Atlanta‘s own WNBA franchise.
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Sophie Cunningham’s meme has taken over social media
The Falcons certainly weren’t the first account to jump on the trend. Cunningham’s pointing gesture has become one of the internet’s most recognizable sports memes over the past week, with countless brands, sports teams and fans using it in posts across X.
The image has spread well beyond WNBA circles, becoming one of the league’s most viral moments of the 2026 season. Ironically, the widespread popularity of the meme is exactly why the Falcons likely chose it in the first place.
MORE: Sophie Cunningham’s little tan dress steals the show before Fever-Sparks game
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Dream enjoying one of their best seasons
The timing of the post also stood out because the Dream are in the middle of one of their strongest starts in recent years. Led by Angel Reese, Allisha Gray, Brionna Jones and Jordin Canada, Atlanta entered the weekend with a 12-6 record and firmly in the hunt near the top of the WNBA standings.
That success led many local fans to argue the Falcons missed an opportunity to spotlight another Atlanta professional team instead of referencing an opposing market. While the social media post wasn’t intended to spark a WNBA debate, it quickly became another example of how much attention Cunningham and the Fever, continue to generate both on and off the court.
