Two WNBA players. Two midterm messages.
One attempted to unify an increasingly divided country. Another seemed to give her opponents a firm slap in the face. Or, more specifically — a swat on the rear end.
The first statement came from impending Fever free agent Sophie Cunningham. We know that the shooting guard isn’t afraid to take a stance on a political issue, as she became a lightning rod over comments supporting the separation of biological males and females in sports and locker rooms last summer. But she isn’t a formulaic partisan.
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Sophie has been adamant about being in the political “middle,” saying she agrees with arguments from both sides of the aisle. And on Wednesday, one day after the Democratic-dominated midterm elections, she shared a post from entrepreneur Andy Frisella on her Instagram emphasizing personal growth over political identity.
“One of the strangest things about our culture is how much faith we’ve placed in elections to change our lives and how little faith we’ve placed in our own ability to do the same. People will spend months arguing about who should lead the country while spending zero time considering how they could better lead themselves … and THAT is a much bigger problem than most people realize,” Frisella’s post read.
“Because the strength of a country is ultimately a reflection of the character, discipline and standards of the people who make it up. That’s you. Politics is downstream of culture. We can keep changing the people in charge, passing new laws and arguing over which party has the answers … but until we change the culture fostering, producing and tolerating the problems we have as a society, nothing fundamentally changes.
“A population of weak, unhealthy, uninformed and dependent people is a hell of a lot easier to control than a population of strong, healthy, educated and self-reliant people. Your responsibility is to become the exact opposite of everything they want for you to the best of your abilities. Your REAL best. In my opinion that’s our obligation as Americans.
“A culture of personal excellence is the foundation of a great country. There is no election, politician, policy or law that can substitute for that … and the best thing about that is the same behaviors that make you a better American also make your own life better quickly. If we want a better America … It starts with better Americans. There is no other way. Personal excellence is the Ultimate Rebellion.”
This reminds me of the old Jordan Peterson axiom “clean your room.” Before you can take on the world, make sure you can take care of yourself. It’s not uncommon to see some of the most volatile, maladjusted people dedicating their lives to political causes in lieu of personal responsibility. That seems to be what Cunningham is warning against. Whether she would have reposted Frisella if the Republicans cleaned up in the midterms is unknown, but her premise holds up regardless. Constructive. Un-tribal.
Pretty much the opposite of Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud.
Cloud also took to social media after Tuesday’s midterms, but not in an attempt to unify or inspire. The Chicago guard shared a Threads post from Rep. Robert Garcia reading “LAWYER UP!” and added her own three-letter commentary: “BTA!” — slang for “belt to ass.” In short, Cloud was openly taunting Republicans over their midterm losses while celebrating the prospect of incoming Democratic oversight targeting President Trump.
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This isn’t the first time Cloud has used her platform to divide. In 2023, she tweeted, “Our country is trash” on the heels of SCOTUS ruling that the affirmative action policies universities had been employing were unconstitutional. She added that “we continue to oppress marginalized groups that we have targeted since the beginning of time,” and that “I feel like I’m gonna see a civil war in my lifetime.” She also gave the AP a quote saying “it’s time to break down a system that has only been about white men.”
Sophie and Natasha. One sees the potential good in humanity and calls for individuals to rise above the political fray. The other seems to view half the country as irredeemable — and wants the world to know it. Remember, it was Cunningham who, despite her position on separating men and women in sports, emphasized that she had nothing but love for the trans community. And it was Cloud who walked toward and screamed at Enes Kanter Freedom for wearing a shirt defining what a woman is.
Two players. One who’s on a team that stands for the national anthem, the other on one that clears the court for it. One doing her part to bring people together in divisive times — another who’s clearly relishing the division.