Overview
- The WNBA Players Association told its group licensing partners on Monday that they may not use the viral image of Sophie Cunningham pointing because the union labeled the gesture derogatory.
- A WNBPA spokesperson said the union’s policy is to avoid monetizing or featuring player conduct from confrontations on licensed apparel and products.
- The ban applies only to deals done through the union’s group licensing program and does not stop Cunningham from making her own deals to sell or license the image.
- Brands that want to use official team or league logos must still seek approval from the WNBA rather than the union, so league-branded uses remain a separate approval process.
- The move highlights a tension for partners and the league between leveraging viral moments for marketing and refusing to endorse confrontational player behavior, and it could curb official merchandise tied to the meme even as Cunningham’s public profile and follower count have surged.