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Why John Cena just put Sophie Cunningham's viral WNBA moment in front of 21 million followers originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Sophie Cunningham's viral moment has officially gone mainstream. What started as a heated exchange during the Indiana Fever's matchup with the Phoenix Mercury has quickly become one of the internet's favorite reaction memes. Now it's reached an audience far beyond basketball after WWE legend John Cena shared the image with his more than 21 million Instagram followers.
The post caught plenty of sports fans off guard. Cunningham and Cena don't have any obvious connection, and there wasn't a birthday, collaboration or promotional campaign tying the two together. So why was the WWE icon suddenly posting a photo of the Fever guard?
John Cena's Instagram has become famous for random viral moments
Anyone familiar with Cena's social media wasn't all that surprised. For years, the 17-time world champion has turned his Instagram account into one of the internet's most unpredictable pages. Instead of captions or explanations, Cena simply uploads photos and lets his followers decide what they mean.
His profile even tells fans exactly what to expect.
"Welcome to my Instagram. These images will be posted without explanation, for your interpretation."
That's exactly what happened this weekend. Among the latest additions to his page was Cunningham's now-famous pointing photo from Indiana's June 22 win over Phoenix.
No caption. No context. Just the meme.
How Sophie Cunningham's meme took off
The image came during one of the most talked-about moments of the Fever's season. After Phoenix forward DeWanna Bonner became involved in a physical sequence with Caitlin Clark, emotions boiled over between both teams. Cunningham, never one to shy away from sticking up for a teammate, found herself pointing directly at Bonner during the exchange.
The image immediately took on a life of its own online. Within days, fans were using it as a reaction image across X, Instagram and other social media platforms. Like many of the internet's biggest memes, it quickly escaped its original sports context and started appearing everywhere.
Cena's post only accelerated that trend.
MORE: Sophie Cunningham gets apology from Sparks player after viral on-court moment
From WNBA moment to internet culture
There's a reason Cena's post matters. His Instagram account has become something of a stamp of approval for viral internet culture. Whether it's sports, movies, television or pop culture, if something lands on his page, it usually means it has broken through to a much larger audience.
For Cunningham, that's exactly what happened. The Fever guard didn't score a field goal in the June 22 victory over her former team, finishing with two points, but the lasting image from that night wasn't anything that happened in the box score.
It was one finger point during an emotional moment that has now been seen by millions of people, including the millions who follow one of professional wrestling's biggest stars. The crossover is another reminder of just how much attention surrounds the Fever this season. What happens during Indiana games isn't just staying inside the WNBA anymore. Increasingly, it's becoming part of the broader sports and internet conversation, and Cunningham's viral meme is the latest example.
More WNBA news:
- Sophie Cunningham gets apology from Sparks player after viral on-court moment
- Angel Reese shows off abs with cozy all-white pregame look before Seattle matchup
- Falcons' Sophie Cunningham meme post sparks backlash from WNBA fans
- Sophie Cunningham's little tan dress steals the show before Fever-Sparks game
- Sophie Cunningham's viral pointing moment has become the internet's newest meme
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