Sophie Cunningham's pointing gesture sparks viral memes and White House clip

During a WNBA game on June 22, 2026, Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham pointed at Phoenix Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner for more than 30 seconds while arguing with a referee. The gesture, captured on video, quickly became a widely shared meme, generating worldwide attention and inspiring a range of derivative internet jokes.

The White House later used a clip of Cunningham discussing the incident on its podcast, prompting the player to comment that she sees no issue with organizations sharing the moment. Cunningham also noted she was recovering from an illness that forced her to miss two practices and said she was waiting for her energy and headache to improve before the Fever's next game against the Las Vegas Aces.

The incident highlights the crossover between sports moments and viral internet culture, with the meme drawing references to the Statue of Liberty and other pop‑culture icons.