Aug 8, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) reacts after being fouled by Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington during the first half of a WNBA game at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Sunday’s game between the Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream was one of the most exciting of the entire season. Fever superstar Caitlin Clark scored 26 points and tallied nine assists in the 95-91 overtime win for Indiana. Clark’s biggest rival, Dream star Angel Reese, had a whale of a game as well, scoring 15 points and snagging 14 rebounds. The season series between the potential first-round playoff opponents is now tied 2-2. As great as the game was, one Fever player is receiving high praise for her actions before tip-off. Reserve guard Sophie Cunningham, who ingratiated herself with many fans with her divisive comments on transgender athletes participating in sports, was the only member of the Fever who stood with her hand over her heart during the national anthem.
Sophie Cunningham was the ONLY one from her whole team who stood with her hand over her heart during the National Anthem The Atlanta Dreams didn’t even bother coming onto the court pic.twitter.com/kj8S0BVwjI — Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) August 18, 2026
“Love her more for it.” Fans on social media had high praise for Cunningham’s display of patriotism. “She went above and beyond, which is great. Love her more for it,” someone posted on X. “She’s the only one with class and one of the few with Talent. Such a shame that the WNBA has turned into a laughing stock of sub-par players who dominate via drama rather than points,” another person posted. “God Bless Sophie Cunningham! What is wrong with these other people! I’m so sick of this crap,” one fan added. Not the only drama coming out of Sunday The national anthem wasn’t the only non-basketball storyline coming out of Sunday’s game. Two fans were forced to cover their “XX-XY” shirts, which are widely viewed as advocating against transgender athletes participating in women’s sports, something the Dream and WNBA are maintaining should not have happened. “The Atlanta Dream believes in creating a safe and inclusive environment for everyone,” Atlanta posted on its official X account. “Unfortunately, at last night’s game, WNBA security took actions that fell short of that standard. At no point was Dream personnel involved in the decisions made by WNBA security. “The league issued this statement earlier today: ‘The WNBA is aware of interactions at last night’s game in Atlanta in which fans were asked by league security to cover their shirts. This should not have happened.'” The post ‘She went above and beyond’: Sophie Cunningham receiving praise for national anthem move appeared first on The Comeback: Today’s Top Sports Stories & Reactions.