Sophie Cunningham celebrates Fourth of July with swimsuit photo after viral week originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Sophie Cunningham has had one of the busiest weeks of any player in the WNBA. The Indiana Fever guard has dominated headlines after her now-famous finger-pointing exchange with Phoenix Mercury veteran DeWanna Bonner turned into one of the internet’s biggest memes. She’s also been making the rounds discussing the viral moment, including revealing Friday that even her mom has been keeping her updated on all the memes circulating online.
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Now, Cunningham is celebrating the Fourth of July in a much different way. The Fever veteran shared a patriotic Instagram post featuring a swimsuit photo and several summer snapshots, quickly drawing plenty of attention from fans as she embraced the holiday weekend.
Sophie Cunningham shares patriotic Fourth of July post
Cunningham posted a carousel of photos on Instagram Friday afternoon with a caption celebrating Independence Day.
“Living the American dream in the USA,” she wrote alongside American flag, white heart, beer mug and hot dog emojis.
Among the photos was a swimsuit image from her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit shoot, along with other festive Fourth of July pictures.
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The post immediately gained traction online as thousands of fans reacted within hours.
It’s the latest social media moment for Cunningham, who has seen her popularity continue to soar over the past several weeks.
Cunningham’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit debut made headlines
The swimsuit photo featured in Cunningham’s Independence Day post comes from her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit debut earlier this year. The Indiana guard participated in the magazine’s rookie photoshoot on Captiva Island, Florida, an experience she later described as one of the highlights of her offseason.
“It really was so fun,” Cunningham told Sports Illustrated Swimsuit.
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“You just feel so empowered, and something I really do love about it is they choose different body sizes, shapes and sizes, different ethnicities. They empower all types of women and it really was frickin’ awesome.”
The feature introduced Cunningham to an even broader audience beyond basketball and became one of the most talked-about moments of the WNBA offseason.
MORE: Sophie Cunningham reveals how she feels about White House using her finger-pointing meme
The viral moments just keep coming
Cunningham’s Fourth of July post comes just days after she unexpectedly became one of the internet’s biggest sensations. Her silent finger-pointing standoff with DeWanna Bonner during Indiana’s win over Phoenix quickly evolved into a meme shared by sports teams, major brands, celebrities and even government social media accounts.
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Speaking to reporters at Fever practice on Friday, Cunningham admitted she never imagined the moment would spread around the world.
“It’s so goofy,” she said. “Everyone… it’s getting worldwide views now.”
She added that her mom has been keeping her updated on all the different versions of the meme while she recovered from a recent illness.
When asked which one she liked most, Cunningham didn’t hesitate.
“Statue of Liberty,” she said with a laugh.
Fever preparing for another marquee matchup
While Cunningham continues enjoying one of the most memorable weeks of her career off the court, her attention will soon shift back to basketball. The Fever return to action Sunday when they host A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces in one of the weekend’s marquee WNBA matchups.
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Cunningham has become an important piece of Indiana’s rotation this season, averaging 9.6 points per game while providing toughness, energy and veteran leadership alongside Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell. Whether she’s making headlines for a viral meme, appearing in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit or celebrating the Fourth of July with fans on social media, Cunningham continues to prove she’s become one of the WNBA’s most recognizable personalities both on and off the court.
