Sophie Cunningham Got Special Rules in the WNBA Subreddit

There are a few things we know that are factually correct in the WNBA subreddit scandal.

The first is that there appeared to be a ban associated with all things Sophie Cunningham, the bench player for the Indiana Fever who makes more noise off the court than she does on it, in the popular Reddit channel. 

The second is that the WNBA claims that they had nothing to do with it. 

On Aug. 16, Fox News and the New York Post reported that a Reddit user, Adventurous_Hope_101, shared screenshots revealing an alleged ban on the Fever guard’s name. What made the reported ban even weirder is that it didn’t just ban Cunningham’s name, it included any variations such as “sc,” “scunningham,” “soph” and “sophiacunningham.”

When the user reached out to r/WNBA subreddit moderators about why the name was banned in the group, the moderator reportedly responded noting, “We filter content based on (Sophie) because it tends to (bring) out trolls and people that (aren’t) fans of the W,” USA Today reports.

The user explained that a ban on a current WNBA player was “ridiculous” in a Reddit sub group about WNBA players. The moderators told the user, “We have chosen to filter content. If you want to post freely about Sophie, you can go to a different sub.” 

When the user continued to question moderators about the ban they were met with the following response: “You (aren’t) even a contributor to this sub, so I suggest you go back to the other WNBA subs. This is our decision. If you keep messaging about this, you will be banned.”

On Monday, the r/WNBA subreddit posted a message regarding the use of Cunningham’s name in the subreddit.

“Sophie Cunningham content is not banned from r/wnba,” the statement said. “Posts about Sophie are welcome when they are related to basketball, including games, highlights, interviews, statistics, marketing endorsements, and other WNBA-related news. Off-court Sophie content can be shared as well.”

The subreddit has even reached the WNBA’s front office, which issued a statement claiming no involvement.

“The WNBA does not moderate or have any affiliation with the r/WNBA subreddit,” a WNBA spokesperson told USA Today.

Following a page out of fifth place swimmer Riley Gaines’ book, Cunningham made waves in the “W” after her comments on banning transgender women and “protecting women’s sports.”

There are currently no transgender women in the WNBA. Cunningham’s comments caused demonstrations outside of Fever games and sparked national debate around the WNBA and trans athletes. 

“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I’m like, ‘I never once said that,'” Cunningham told ESPN. “I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”

See social media’s reaction to the subreddit below.