{
  "id": 4353261,
  "title": "Sophie Cunningham passes Caitlin Clark in IG followers after her stance on trans athletes in WNBA",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/30/sophie-cunningham-passes-caitlin-clark-in-ig-followers-after-her",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-30T05:45:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/sophie-cunningham-passes-caitlin-clark-054508520.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Sophie Cunningham has surpassed Caitlin Clark to become the second-most-followed WNBA star on Instagram, with 4.1 million followers as of August 30, according to wire reports. Cunningham's popularity surge comes after she took a stance against trans athletes in the WNBA in late July, sparking a political movement that has caused a stir within the league. Despite gaining over a million new followers since her controversial comments, Cunningham's popularity does not necessarily reflect her on-court performance, as she is currently averaging only 8.3 points per game for the Fever, compared to Clark's 22.5 points and 8.4 assists. The controversy surrounding Cunningham's comments has led to both pro- and anti-Cunningham rallies at Fever games, drawing significant media attention to the league's handling of trans athletes.",
  "summary": "Indiana Fever bench player Sophie Cunningham has become the second-most-followed WNBA star on Instagram, overtaking teammate Caitlin Clark. The boom in WNBA attendance and viewership since 2024 is often called the ‘Caitlin Clark effect,’ but it seems Clark’s popularity might soon fall by the wayside compared to her role-playing teammate.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "WNBA legend Lauren Jackson names her pick for 2026 MVP over Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/wnba-legend-lauren-jackson-names-her-pick-for-2026-mvp-over-caitlin",
        "published": "2026-08-28T07:45:31.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}