WNBA guard Sophie Cunningham has weighed in on the controversy surrounding actress Sydney Sweeney’s nude gambling advertisement, breaking from other female athletes who criticized the ad as harmful to women’s sports.
“Why are girls mad?” Cunningham said on her podcast, “No Hesitation.” “That is literally what she does. Why is anyone mad? It is a gambling ad: men, sports, naked women. Of course, that’s going to draw attention.”
Cunningham said she has personal reservations about the ad but doesn’t see a reason for the outrage directed at Sweeney. “Do I agree with it? Morally, I think it’s kind of weird, but each to their own. Go do your thing, sis,” she said.
The ad, produced for betting platform Novig, sparked criticism from some women’s sports figures who argued it undermined efforts to build respect for female athletes. Sweeney has publicly responded to critics online since the campaign launched.
Novig CEO Jacob Fortinsky said during a panel appearance this week that Sweeney herself was behind much of the ad’s concept. “It really was Sydney who was driving a lot of the visuals and the messaging,” Fortinsky said. “We’re hugely supportive of women’s sports. I think it’s a huge component of our platform. We never intended to portray female sports.”
Cunningham’s podcast co-host, Drew Hanlen, said he estimates roughly 75% of sports bettors are men, framing the ad’s target audience as distinct from the women’s sports fan base.
Cunningham acknowledged why some athletes might have an initial negative reaction. “I can understand when you first see that ad that like it could kind of deflate women, because it’s like we’ve worked so hard to get a little bit of respect around here,” she said. “But when you really think about it, it’s like, screw it, let that girl do her thing. This has nothing to do with us.”
She added that she views the broader moment as positive for women in athletics. “At the end of the day, I’m really loving seeing all these girls who are powerful, strong, showing young girls what it looks like to be an athlete. I don’t think the ad was coming for women in sports,” Cunningham said.
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