Fox Sports host Colin Cowherd is facing criticism after referring to Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham as the WNBA's "sex symbol" during an interview on his podcast.
Cunningham, 30, appeared on Cowherd's "No Hesitation" podcast Friday. While discussing her show's rebranding, Cowherd, 62, paused and asked, "You are kind of viewed a little bit as the league's… ummm." When Cunningham prompted him to say it, Cowherd responded, "Sex symbol." He then asked, "Is that fair?"
Cunningham appeared to accept the remark, stating, "Hey, that's way better! I thought you were going to go somewhere completely different. I'll take it." However, the comment quickly went viral on social media, where many users expressed disapproval.
One user on X, formerly Twitter, commented, "Colin comes off like a creepy uncle saying this." Another questioned the focus, asking, "Ok but what about being good at the actual sport?"
Cowherd attempted to justify his comment by describing Cunningham as "tough" and a player who "will fight anybody" and "will taunt anybody," adding that she "will make sure, coming into the arena, 'I look good, and I want you to know…'"
The interaction occurred shortly after Cunningham announced the rebranding of her podcast, formerly titled "Show Me Something" with West Wilson. Cunningham has recently been a subject of public discussion for her views on transgender athletes, which have divided opinion.
She stated her ambition to "protecting" girls' sports against "biological men." Her stance sparked rallies at Indiana Fever games. Her former co-host, Wilson, publicly disagreed with her views, calling transgender women's participation in sports a "borderline non-existent issue" in a TikTok video. The silence of their podcast since July 21 had led to speculation about their partnership, which has now seemingly concluded with the announcement of Cunningham's rebranded podcast, "No Hesitation."