Jennifer Sey is trying to pull Sophie Cunningham into the orbit of XX-XY Athletics, and she is not being subtle about it. The founder of the pro-women’s sportswear brand says Cunningham has the personality, the edge, and the voice to become the face of her company, even if that means going head-to-head with Adidas.
Sey says the interest goes back to 2024, when Cunningham reportedly praised XX-XY Athletics’ viral “Dear Nike” campaign after it called on major brands to draw a line on biological males competing in women’s sports. According to Sey, that moment helped convince her that Cunningham could be the right fit for a brand built around a blunt, unapologetic message. “She’s the perfect person for us,” Sey said. “We have wanted to work with her for such a long time.”
That first contact, Sey says, came through social media. Cunningham allegedly liked and commented on the campaign, then sent a direct message that Sey missed for months because it landed in an unknown-messages folder. When she finally spotted it, Sey says she realized she had overlooked a real opening, and by then Cunningham had already become a louder and more visible figure around Caitlin Clark and the Fever.
Part of what draws Sey to Cunningham is simple chemistry. She described the Indiana Fever guard as athletic, funny, tough, and willing to say what she thinks, which is exactly the kind of energy XX-XY wants to bottle and sell. Sey has also suggested she would do almost anything to pry Cunningham away from Adidas, even while admitting the global company can offer far more money than her startup.
Adidas, for its part, is already tied to Cunningham and has lined up her first publicly available player-exclusive shoe, the Crazy Energy “Sophie Cunningham” PE, at a retail price of $120. It is a colorway of an existing model rather than a full signature shoe, but it still shows how fast Cunningham’s profile has climbed. Sey, though, sees a chance to offer something bigger than a standard endorsement deal.
In her view, XX-XY can give Cunningham top billing and full-throated support, not just a paycheck. Sey said her experience at Levi Strauss & Co. taught her that celebrity partnerships are not always about the biggest number on the table, but about making the relationship feel real and valuable. “I wasn’t offering the most money,” Sey said. “I was offering the best partnership.”
That pitch becomes even sharper when the conversation turns to Cunningham’s recent comments about protecting girls’ sports. Cunningham told ESPN that girls “shouldn’t have to go against biological men” in sports or share locker rooms with them, then doubled down by saying, “I said what I said,” and calling her stance common sense. The Fever backed her right to her own views and said the organization treats everyone with respect.
Sey has also taken aim at Adidas for not publicly standing beside Cunningham after the controversy picked up steam. She criticized the brand as being silent when the pressure started, while also pointing to earlier campaigns she считает proof that Adidas is quick to chase trends but slower to defend women. Even so, she noted that Adidas has not dropped Cunningham, which she sees as a sign that the culture is shifting.
The bigger play, though, is not just a sneaker deal or a standard ad campaign. Sey has been pushing the idea of turning Cunningham’s famous pointing pose into a brand symbol, much like the Jordan silhouette became part of a larger identity. After the WNBA Players Association objected to outside groups monetizing the image, Sey floated a hoodie concept and said Cunningham could keep the proceeds.
Cunningham’s rise has clearly gone beyond basketball anyway. She has become one of the league’s most recognizable personalities, helped by her role as Caitlin Clark’s teammate and defender, along with a string of viral moments that made her easy to spot and hard to ignore. Her numbers have been solid too, with efficient scoring and a strong shooting touch helping raise her stock on the court.
Her growing reach has spilled into other corners of sports culture as well, including a guest appearance as a UFC ring girl and a reputation for being outspoken without sounding scripted. That mix has made her attractive to brands that want attitude as much as polish, and it has also made her a flashpoint in the wider fight over women’s sports.
For Sey, that is exactly why Cunningham matters. XX-XY is not trying to be the safest voice in the room, and Cunningham is not behaving like someone who plans to shrink herself to make other people comfortable. That combination has turned a simple endorsement chase into something louder, messier, and a lot more interesting.
