Last week, actress Sydney Sweeney sparked widespread outrage from female athletes after she was at the center of an ad campaign for a U.S. sports prediction market where she wore minimal or no clothing while posing with sports equipment. Now, Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has weighed in.
While many athletes have expressed their shock and outrage at the ad campaign, Cunningham takes a more middle-of-the-road stance where she doesn’t necessarily like the ad, but she understands why both the company and Sweeney would do it and isn’t surprised.
Female Athletes Speak Out
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
The ad, which was for the sports prediction market Novig, hit social media last week and quickly spread, reaching 37 million views in just four days on Instagram. But much of the reaction was negative, especially from female athletes.
“Just absolute utter disbelief, incredibly disappointing, like, how far you can put women’s sports backwards in the space of a 42-second commercial,” Australian surfer Felicity told CNN, adding that the campaign “is very damaging, especially for young females getting into sport, for females in sport, for females in general, just hypersexualized content.”
“We want to be valued for what we can do, not what we look like,” Palmateer added.
“Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like,” British sprinter Amy Hunt told BBC Sport after a race. “Muscles. Hard work. Sweat, blood, tears.”
“I can’t describe how infuriated I feel when I watch this,” four-time Olympic swimmer Ariarne Titmus wrote in a post on her Instagram stories.
“Not only is this a kick in the face to every woman who has dedicated her life to perfecting her craft, but every woman who enjoys sports for what it really is — teamwork, friendship, dedication, excellence, unity … the list goes on.”
“I’ve spent my entire life competing in a sport where female athletes have been oversexualized, reduced to our bodies, and forced to fight to be taken seriously for what we can actually do,” wrote retired US gymnast Gracie Kramer on her Instagram story, who added that the ad “feels like a massive step backward.”
‘Morally, I think it’s kinda weird’
During the most recent episode of her No Hesitation podcast, Cunningham gave her thoughts on Sweeney’s controversial ad. Unlike many of her peers, however, Cunningham’s response wasn’t pure outrage, even if she wasn’t fond of the ad personally.
“I have so many takes,” Cunningham said. “First of all, does she even gamble on sports? It’s just so unauthentic.”
That said, Cunningham wasn’t necessarily surprised by what she saw.
“Am I surprised about how she represented the brand? No. That’s what she’s made her whole career off,” Cunningham said.
“Don’t get me wrong, I like her. She is beautiful. She is hot. She clearly has my chest,” Cunningham jokes. “I really like her. She sticks to her guns. She does her thing. She’s her. So, props to her.”
Cunningham was not a fan of this ad, however, though she understands that’s Sweeney’s brand.
“Do I like it? That particular ad? Not really. I mean, like, what are we doing? But again, I’m not surprised. That’s what she’s known for. She’s going to do that. She’s making her money. Go do your thing, sis,” Cunningham said.
For that reason, Cunningham doesn’t really understand the outrage, even if she had some moral issues with the ad.
“But why are girls mad? That is literally what she does. Why is anyone mad? It is a gambling ad. Men, sports, pretty much naked women – of course that’s going to draw attention,” she said. “Again, do I agree with it? Morally, I think it’s kinda weird. But to each their own. Go do your thing, sis.”
