Colin Cowherd steered an interview with Sophie Cunningham in an unexpected direction, catching the WNBA star completely off guard.
Cunningham has found herself at the center of ongoing debate surrounding transgender athletes in women’s sports, particularly after telling ESPN that she supports keeping biological males out of women’s competition while emphasizing she does not harbor animosity toward transgender individuals.
The Indiana Fever forward appeared on “The Colin Cowherd Podcast” on Friday to discuss the rebranding of her podcast, transitioning from “Show Me Something” to “No Hesitation” under Cowherd’s network.
The rebrand also brought a change in co-hosts, replacing “Summer House” star and childhood friend Will West with renowned basketball trainer Drew Hanlen, as the revamped podcast shifts toward a heavier basketball focus.
West had at times openly contested Cunningham’s position on transgender athletes in women’s sports, and she dismissed speculation that this disagreement factored into the hosting change as “dumb.”
With numerous topics swirling around the 30-year-old, Cowherd took the conversation in an unorthodox direction that pleasantly surprised Cunningham.
Sophie Cunningham’s reaction to Colin Cowherd calling her the WNBA’s sex symbol was pure comedy.
The confidence, the quick wit, and that effortless “I’ll take it” response—she knows exactly how to own the moment. Tough on the court, stylish off it, and never afraid to be…— RA (@Itsam4d) September 11, 2026
“You are kind of viewed as a little bit the league’s … ummm,” Cowherd, 62, began, searching for the right way to frame his question.
“Just say it,” Cunningham replied. “I don’t care.”
“Sex symbol,” he answered, before asking whether she felt that was an accurate characterization.
“That is way better,” Cunningham said. “I thought you were going to go somewhere completely different.”
Cowherd went on to praise Cunningham’s physical style of play and her refusal to back down from anyone—noting that she frequently serves as an on-court protector for Indiana star Caitlin Clark—as well as her fashion sense.
“You’re tough. You’ll fight anybody. You’ll taunt anybody,” Cowherd said. “But you’ll make sure, coming into the arena, ‘I look good, and I want you to know…'”
While such observations could apply to many WNBA stars in a league that has increasingly highlighted athletes’ personal style and game-day fashion, Cunningham—who has sparked both fervent support rallies and in-arena jeers for her stance on transgender athletes—has been particularly prominent in that conversation lately.
She posed for this year’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue and made a cameo as an impromptu ring girl at UFC 329 during Conor McGregor’s return bout.
Cunningham appears entirely comfortable embracing the compliment.
“For some reason, our society decides that if you play basketball, you can’t dress that way, or you can’t be girly,” Cunningham said. “No one has explicitly told me that, but it’s like they feel you can’t be both. Screw all that. Yes, you can. You can be girly, and you can go out and kick someone’s ass.”
