WNBA star Sophie Cunningham has responded to social media criticism following a post about personal growth and politics with a quote from boxing legend Mike Tyson. Cunningham initially shared an entrepreneur Andy Frisella's message on her Instagram Story that emphasized individual responsibility over political outcomes.
The post read, in part, "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... 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." It concluded by stating, "Personal excellence is the Ultimate Rebellion."
Following this, Cunningham appeared to face backlash and shared a different post to her Story: a quote attributed to Mike Tyson. "Social media made y’all way too comfortable with disrespecting people and not getting punched in the face for it," the quote stated.
Cunningham has previously been a public figure for her stances, including her comments supporting the separation of biological men from women's sports. She has also stated that she prefers to remain politically neutral, listening to both sides.