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Sophie Cunningham is defending actress Sydney Sweeney following a wave of backlash, particularly from women athletes, about her latest Novig campaign that saw her promote the gambling company by posing naked with athletic equipment.
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Despite Novig CEO Jacob Fortinsky stating that they had no intention of portraying women’s sports in the ad, many still believed it harmed the way women in sports are viewed.
Many female athletes, such as Olympic swimmer Ararne Titumus and sprinter Amy Hunt, among many more, called Novig and Sweeney out for putting out a highly sexualized campaign that hindered the progress women’s sports have made over the years.
Nothing to do with women’s sports
Cunningham, however, sees another side to the heated controversy. The Indiana Fever guard stated that although she found the campaign strange, she still defended the actress and rejected the idea that the campaign was intended to represent women’s sports in any capacity.
“She sticks to her guns, and she does her thing and she’s her. Props to her. Do I like it? Like that particular ad? Not really. It’s like, what are we doing? But again, I’m not surprised,” Cunningham
“Why are girls mad? That is literally what she does. Why is anyone mad? It is a gambling ad: men, sports, naked women. Of course, that’s going to draw attention,” she continued. “Again, do I agree with it? Morally, I think it’s kind of weird, but each to their own. Go do your thing, sis.”
There has been a long fight for women’s sports to be recognized and treated with respect. It was understandable how manyreacted to Sweeney’s provocative sports campaign, especially with how she posed and seemingly represented different sports.
Cunningham herself has been at the forefront in recent years of championing women’s sports through various media, and, of course, with the WNBA. But amid this controversy, she believes Sweeney was only doing what she has always done and wasn’t trying to stand up for women athletes at all.
“I can understand when you first see that ad that like it could kind of deflate women, because it’s like we’ve worked so hard to get a little bit of respect around here,” stated Soph. “But when you really think about it, it’s like, screw it, let that girl do her thing. This has nothing to do with us.”
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Still a supporter of women’s sports
Sweeney is no stranger to controversy. In the past, she has ruffled feathers after posing in ads that lean into her sexuality and appearance for GAP and American Eagle, both of which did so for different reasons.
Likewise, Cunningham is not afraid to voice her opinions, regardless of how different they are. She recently created massive headlines after her comments on transgender athletes in women’s sports.
Sophie has always championed strong, powerful women, and her defense of Sydney, whom she actually met and posted a viral picture with, is only a reflection of her belief that the criticism was misdirected at the actress and not aimed at the women athletes who spoke out against the ad.
“At the end of the day, I’m really loving seeing all these girls who are powerful, strong, showing young girls what it looks like to be an athlete. I don’t think the ad was coming for women in sport,” she stated.
Women’s sports are still ultimately fighting for respect, and the Novig ad may have indirectly sparked unnecessary debate. But Cunningham states that there was no need for women to criticize one another over a campaign targeted at a different audience.
Related: “Completely hypocritical” – Sports host cites Sophie Cunningham to defend Sydney Sweeney over sexualization claims
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This story was originally published September 18, 2026 at 12:20 AM.