Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham says she stands for the national anthem because she is “proud to be an American citizen” and grateful to the people who serve the country.
Story Snapshot
- Cunningham explained her anthem stance in an interview with podcaster Theo Von published October 29, 2026.
- She said she supports veterans and current service members and wants to “give them love.”
- Cunningham made clear she is not telling other players how to act, saying “that doesn’t mean that’s where everyone stands.”
- The comments come as WNBA teams have split over whether to stay on the court during the anthem.
- Vice President JD Vance publicly praised Cunningham and told her to “keep speaking your mind.”
Cunningham Explains Her Reasoning
Cunningham told Theo Von she feels grateful toward people who serve the country, and that gratitude shapes her choice to stand during the anthem. “I just feel like personally, I am grateful and I support the people who serve,” she said. She added that family members had served in the military, which pushed her to publicly “show that support” during games.
She named veterans and active-duty troops as the people she wants to honor. “Anytime that I can shout out our veterans and the people who are currently fighting for us to live in the best country, I’m going to show that support, and I’m going to give them love,” Cunningham said. She tied that respect directly to the freedom she has to play professional basketball.
Cunningham was careful to frame her position as personal, not a rule for teammates or rivals. “That doesn’t mean that’s where everyone stands and if it’s right, wrong, whatever,” she said, before adding she takes “a lot of pride” in where she comes from and is “proud to be an American citizen”. Reporting from the Fever’s games backs up her words with action. A Yahoo Sports report said the team stayed on the court for the anthem, and Cunningham was seen repeatedly placing her hand over her chest while it played.
League Split Over Anthem Participation
Cunningham’s comments land in the middle of a wider disagreement among WNBA teams. Some teams have left the court before the anthem plays, while others, including the Fever, have stayed. Reporting does not show a single league-wide explanation for why teams differ, or whether the WNBA has issued firm rules on anthem attendance during this stretch of the season.
Political Figures Weigh In
Vice President JD Vance publicly praised Cunningham for her stance, reportedly telling her to “keep speaking your mind”. That kind of outside political attention turns a personal statement from an athlete into part of a bigger national argument about patriotism and protest, something Cunningham did not ask for when she described her own beliefs. President Trump has also commented publicly on Cunningham, though the available reporting centers on her anthem remarks rather than those separate comments.
Sports have a long history of becoming stages for arguments about national identity, going back to boxer Joe Louis and continuing through Colin Kaepernick’s kneeling protest in 2016. Scholars who study these moments say national anthems routinely become “lightning rods” because they sit at the crossroads of sports, patriotism, and personal belief, making almost any athlete’s choice fodder for larger political fights.
A Personal Stand, Not a Universal Rule
Cunningham’s own words draw a clear line between her personal choice and any expectation placed on others. She did not claim teammates or opposing players were wrong to leave the court, and reporting does not show other Fever players crediting her for their own anthem decisions. Her stance reads as one player’s explanation for her own conduct, offered without judgment toward those who see it differently.
SOPHIE Cunningham ; JD Vance is 100% correct ! WE SUPPORT YOUR CAUSE !!! ONLY FEMALES PARTICIPATE IN WOMENS SPORTS 👍🏼🇺🇸🤗
— Lew Anchondo (@LewAnchondo) October 25, 2026
What stands out most is how simply Cunningham described her reasoning: gratitude for people who serve, pride in her country, and respect for teammates who may not share her view. In a league now publicly divided over a 90-second ritual before tip-off, that kind of plain, personal explanation is rare — and it is exactly what has drawn attention from fans and politicians alike.
Sources:
sports.yahoo.com, newsobserver.com, complex.com
