Story perspectives

WNBPA Bars Cunningham Merch After Viral Point Gesture

7/22/2026

Summary

Story summary

The WNBPA barred its licensees from selling merchandise of Sophie Cunningham’s finger-point at DeWanna Bonner, though she can still negotiate NIL deals.
The June 24 gesture went viral as memes, posts and a White House share, giving Cunningham one million new Instagram followers in a month.
She averages 9.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 25 games, and the Fever sit at 16-10, staying in playoff contention.

History

Historical Context

The June 2021 Supreme Court ruling in NCAA v. Alston ended the NCAA’s antitrust ban on athlete compensation, leading the NCAA on July 1 2021 to permit name-image-likeness (NIL) deals. By the 2022-23 season those deals exceeded $1 billion, prompting professional leagues to consider similar rules. In June 2024 the WNBPA barred Sophie Cunningham’s finger-point merchandise, reflecting the league’s cautious approach to extending NIL commercialization to the WNBA.

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Story summary

The WNBPA barred its licensees from selling merchandise of Sophie Cunningham’s finger-point at DeWanna Bonner, though she can still negotiate NIL deals.
The June 24 gesture went viral as memes, posts and a White House share, giving Cunningham one million new Instagram followers in a month.
She averages 9.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 25 games, and the Fever sit at 16-10, staying in playoff contention.

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