Sophie Cunningham’s 22-Second Finger Point Steals the Show
Sophie Cunningham is embracing the viral moment that had basketball fans talking long after the final buzzer.
Although the Indiana Fever defeated the Phoenix Mercury 86-77 on June 22, much of the postgame conversation centered on Cunningham’s now-famous pointing gesture during a heated fourth-quarter exchange involving teammate Caitlin Clark and former Fever forward DeWanna Bonner.
The incident unfolded after officials stopped play when Clark and Bonner became involved in a verbal confrontation. As the two exchanged words, Cunningham stepped in without saying anything. Instead, the Fever guard locked eyes with Bonner and held her index finger pointed in the veteran’s direction for roughly 22 seconds, creating a moment that quickly spread across social media. A member of Indiana’s staff eventually guided Cunningham back toward the bench, but not before both she and Bonner were assessed technical fouls.
Now, Cunningham is sharing her side of the story.
Speaking on the June 27 episode of her Show Me Something podcast, the 29-year-old said she believed Bonner “did something extra,” yet only Clark initially received a technical foul. Cunningham said she walked onto the court to question the officials because she didn’t think the penalty should have fallen solely on her teammate.
According to Cunningham, the silent finger point only escalated the situation.
“I was just kind of pointing,” she recalled, adding that Bonner told her not to point at her. Cunningham admitted she never said a word during the exchange, instead continuing the gesture that ultimately became an internet sensation.
Looking back, Cunningham laughed at her actions, calling the moment “the stupidest thing I’ve ever done.” Still, she admitted she couldn’t resist because the silent gesture appeared to frustrate Bonner even more.
The matchup carried extra intrigue because Cunningham and Bonner briefly shared the court as Fever teammates earlier in the 2025 WNBA season before Bonner departed the team after just nine games and was later released.
