Sydney Sweeney’s latest advertising campaign has divided athletes, fans and commentators, but Sophie Cunningham has now complicated the debate with a response that criticises the advert while defending the woman at its centre.
The WNBA player admitted that she did not particularly like Sweeney’s campaign for sports prediction platform Novig. She questioned its authenticity and understood why female athletes might find it frustrating, yet she rejected the personal outrage aimed at the actress.
Her response came down to one blunt question: “Why are girls mad?”
Cunningham calls the campaign inauthentic
The campaign shows Sweeney posing with equipment from several sports in a deliberately provocative series of images. It quickly attracted attention, but it also brought criticism from athletes who felt it reduced women in sport to their appearance.
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Cunningham initially focused on whether the partnership made sense.
“Does she even gamble on sports? It’s just so inauthentic,” she said during an episode of the No Hesitation podcast.
The Indiana Fever guard made it clear that the campaign was not to her personal taste. However, she also argued that Sweeney had built a public image around glamour and was entitled to accept a lucrative advertising opportunity.
“Go do your thing, sis,” Cunningham added.
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Her comments, which were subsequently reported by SportBible, were therefore neither a full endorsement nor a complete condemnation. Cunningham disliked the execution but refused to attack Sweeney for taking part.
Female athletes say the advert sends the wrong message
The strongest criticism has come from women who compete at the highest level of sport. British sprinter Amy Hunt, Olympic cycling champion Sophie Capewell and four-time Olympic swimming champion Ariarne Titmus are among those to have challenged the campaign.
They argue that female athletes have spent decades trying to ensure their performances are valued ahead of their appearance. Using a sexualised image to sell a sports-related product, critics say, risks reinforcing the very stereotypes they have been attempting to dismantle.
The Guardian described how several athletes responded by sharing footage of competition and training under the message: “This is what women in sport look like.”
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Cunningham said she could understand that reaction. Women’s sport has fought for greater respect, investment and media coverage, and an advert built primarily around physical attraction can feel like a step backwards.
Her disagreement concerns the target of the anger. In Cunningham’s view, it is possible to dislike the campaign without treating Sweeney as if she has betrayed every female athlete.
The debate quickly became political
The controversy has also become entangled with the politics surrounding both women.
Cunningham has previously argued that transgender women should not compete in female sporting categories. That position has led to protests outside WNBA games and prompted some outlets to describe her as anti-trans.
Cunningham rejects that characterisation. She says her position concerns competitive fairness and the protection of female categories, while insisting that she does not hate transgender people. ESPN reported that demonstrations both supporting and opposing her views accompanied several Indiana Fever games.
Sweeney has faced a different form of political scrutiny. Public voting records reportedly show that she registered as a Republican in Florida in 2024. However, registration does not prove how she voted, and the actress has not publicly endorsed Donald Trump or another presidential candidate.
Those details have encouraged some commentators to interpret Cunningham’s response as political solidarity. Her full remarks do not support such a simple conclusion. She criticised the advert’s authenticity, acknowledged the concerns of athletes and then defended Sweeney’s right to make her own decision.
One advert has exposed a much larger divide
The dispute is no longer only about a single campaign. It has become a debate about who gets to represent women in sport and whether glamour, athleticism and personal choice can exist together without one undermining the others.
Cunningham has previously taken part in professional modelling, while continuing to present herself as a serious athlete. That experience appears to shape her position. She believes women should be able to embrace different versions of femininity without being expected to conform to one approved image.
Her response is unlikely to satisfy either side completely. Critics of the campaign may feel she has underestimated its wider effect, while Sweeney’s defenders may object to her description of it as inauthentic.
That discomfort is precisely why her comments have gained attention. Cunningham did not choose the safest side of the argument. She criticised the campaign, defended the actress and left the outrage firmly intact.
