3 Million Fans, 20 Stalkers, 24/7 Guards: Sophie Cunningham’s Fame Has a Dark Side
· Yahoo Sports
Sophie Cunningham is a free agent guard who just saw her life change fast. This season, she has accumulated more new Instagram followers than the other 49 most-followed WNBA players combined, according to the New York Post. The numbers show she added over 2.9 million fans while playing for the Indiana Fever. A branding agency called bknown tracked the growth and shared the stats on Tuesday. Her account jumped from roughly 1.4 million to more than 4.3 million loyal followers. That is a huge win for the league, but it brings a dark side too.
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Just how powerful has Sophie Cunningham's social media influence been? She gained more Instagram followers this season than the other 49 most-followed WNBA players COMBINED… and more than ANY NBA player. pic.twitter.com/hJHsrwuEvb
— Brendan Kaminsky (@BKaminsky) November 3, 2026
The fame she wanted has turned into a safety nightmare she never asked for. Cunningham said she cannot go anywhere without people recognizing her now. It used to be just certain spots, but now it is everywhere she goes. She told a podcast host that she hired security to travel with her 24/7. They will start working for her next week to keep her safe from the crowds. This move comes after she admitted to having serious trouble with people watching her every move.
The Stalkers Are Real
Cunningham told Theo Von on his podcast that she has twenty stalkers the FBI is watching. She said there are a lot of crazy people out there who mean harm. One man named Kevin Singh even sent her a package containing a Guns N’ Roses shirt. He was arrested on felony charges in June and is locked away now. The 48-year-old delivered the letter and shirt to the Fever arena back in September 2025. It is a scary reality for a player who just wanted to speak her mind.
Her comments on transgender athletes in sports sparked the war that brought this heat. She told ESPN in July that she wants to protect young girls from biological men. Those words made her a lightning rod for fans who agree and groups who rally against her. The backlash has been so intense that her daily routine has been stopped cold. She cannot just walk down the street or grab coffee like a normal person anymore. The cost of her voice is high, and the price is her privacy.
Keeping It Real
Despite the fear, Cunningham says she does not pay attention to her mean critics. She told her co-host Drew Hanlen that she is still a dweeb at heart. She believes the people who hate her are unhappy or just psychotic with hatred. She says she can handle it if they want to take it out on her. That attitude is strong, but hiring twenty-four-seven guards shows the danger is real. You do not bring in security unless the threat is very serious.
Recently, the Indiana Fever suffered a first-round playoff defeat against the Aces. Cunningham will head into the 2027 offseason as a free agent without a team.