Sophie Cunningham Sparks Outrage After Calling Herself the “Underrated MVP” in Talkshow

WNBA star Sophie Cunningham has landed herself in hot water yet again — this time for boldly declaring herself the “Underrated MVP” during a recent talk show appearance. While confidence is often praised in the world of professional sports, many fans and critics are calling her latest comment arrogant, delusional, and downright disrespectful to the league’s actual top performers.

“I’m the MVP… people just don’t see it yet”

In a segment on a popular sports podcast, Sophie Cunningham stunned the host when she casually said:

“I consider myself the underrated MVP of the WNBA. I don’t need a trophy to know the impact I bring to the game.”

What may have been intended as a confident, self-empowering remark quickly turned into a public relations disaster.

Backlash erupts online

Just hours after the interview aired, social media erupted with backlash. Fans flooded Twitter and Instagram with memes, criticism, and sarcastic jabs.
Hashtags like #MVPInHerMind, #NotSoHumble, and #SophieDelusional began trending.

“MVP? Girl, your stats don’t even make the All-Star cut.”
“Confidence is one thing, but this is just straight-up arrogance.”

Several WNBA analysts pointed out that while Cunningham has shown moments of solid play, she hasn’t come close to the numbers or accolades of stars like A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, or Sabrina Ionescu.

A history of bold (and problematic) statements

This isn’t the first time Cunningham has stirred controversy. From fiery on-court behavior to previous snarky comments aimed at rivals, Sophie has earned a reputation for being outspoken — and not always in a good way.

“Confidence is good,” one former player tweeted, “but humility is what makes great players beloved. Sophie needs a lesson in that.”

Some fans have even begun calling her the “WNBA’s biggest ego with the fewest receipts.”

Supporters defend her self-belief

Despite the criticism, not everyone is turning on Sophie. A vocal minority of fans are praising her for being unapologetically confident, arguing that women in sports are often unfairly judged for expressing self-belief.

“Men say this kind of stuff all the time and it’s called ‘swagger.’ Sophie says it, and people freak out.”

These fans believe her words are being blown out of proportion — and that perhaps the real issue is people being uncomfortable with a confident woman owning her narrative.

Will Sophie walk it back?

So far, Cunningham has remained silent since the backlash erupted. No apology. No clarification. No follow-up post.

But with the WNBA season heating up and eyes increasingly focused on both on- and off-court behavior, many are wondering: Will Sophie double down on her claim, or issue a statement to cool things down?

Only time will tell — but one thing’s for sure: she’s got the world watching.