Sophie Cunningham OKs White House use of viral meme

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham said she had no issue with the White House sharing a viral meme of her pointing at an opponent, treating the social media post from President Donald Trump's administration as just another part of the internet phenomenon. Cunningham made the comments to reporters on Friday, July 3, after the White House account on X posted a video pairing her gesture with a clip of Trump pointing at the camera.

The now-famous moment originated during a game on June 22 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. During the Fever's 86-77 win over the Phoenix Mercury, Cunningham and Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner got into a verbal exchange in the fourth quarter. Cunningham pointed directly at Bonner, an act that was captured in photos and video and quickly spread across social media, becoming one of the most widely shared sports memes of the year.

Cunningham received a technical foul for the gesture, which she later criticized on her podcast, calling it "the weakest thing I’ve ever seen in my life." She explained that the confrontation escalated after Bonner took issue with being pointed at. "I didn't say a word, just pointed," Cunningham said on her show. "I...