Sophie Cunningham's Angel Reese comments spark backlash before WNBA Finals

Why Sophie Cunningham is trending

Sophie Cunningham is trending because WNBA fans are angry at her for calling two of Angel Reese's plays dangerous on her podcast. The Indiana Fever guard made the comments on Thursday's episode of her show "No Hesitation," which she co-hosts with Drew Hanlen, according to Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. The episode landed two days before Reese and the Atlanta Dream open the WNBA Finals.

Cunningham was talking about Game 3 of the Dream's semifinal series against the New York Liberty, a game Atlanta won to complete a sweep and reach the Finals. She said "Angel is going to play hard" and credited Reese for going after the ball in a way some players will not. Then she turned critical, saying "you can't tackle someone in the air" and go for a player's knees and ankles, calling both plays a little dangerous and asking, per Bleacher Report, "Is that not weird? Am I missing something?"

The two plays Cunningham flagged

The first play happened when Reese jumped toward Breanna Stewart as if contesting a shot, right after officials had already called a foul on Rhyne Howard. Stewart ended up on the ground. The second came early in the fourth quarter, when Reese dove for a loose ball just after officials had called a timeout and made contact with Marine Fauthoux's legs. Bleacher Report reports neither play drew a foul against Reese.

Fans push back on X

The reaction on X was not kind to Cunningham. One fan wrote, per Yahoo Sports, "I'm so sick of this lady." Another asked, "Who keeps asking for this woman's opinions?" A different fan accused Cunningham of trying to provoke Reese into retaliating in a future game against the Fever so she could "grift off that moment," Yahoo Sports reported. Other fans told Cunningham directly to keep Reese's name out of her mouth.

Reese is not new to this kind of criticism. Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report both noted that an anonymous WNBA general manager told ESPN's Katie Barnes back in March 2024 that some of what Reese does on the floor is "disrespectful" to the game. Reese is now a three-time All-Star and the league's newly named Defensive Player of the Year, and the criticism has followed her since her college days, per Bleacher Report.

What happens next

Nothing here is settled. There has been no response from Reese or the Dream organization in what's been reported so far. What is set is the schedule. Atlanta opens the WNBA Finals against the Golden State Valkyries in Game 1 on Saturday at Chase Center, tipping off at 3:30 p.m. ET, according to Bleacher Report. Cunningham and the Fever are not part of this series.

Bleacher Report also pointed out that complaints about WNBA officiating are nothing new, noting that players and coaches including Caitlin Clark and Becky Hammon have raised their own concerns about how games are called.

Facts per Yahoo Sports, Bleacher Report. Opinion is the taproom's.