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WNBPA Policy Blocks Merch of Iconic Player Scuffle
21 Jul
Summary
- WNBPA policy prohibits apparel featuring player confrontations.
- Cunningham can create personal merch but without league logos.
- Kahleah Copper previously sold shirts independent of the union.
The Women's National Basketball Association Players Association (WNBPA) has a policy against producing or authorizing merchandise that features confrontations between union members. This stance means that no official league apparel will be created to capitalize on the widely shared image of Sophie Cunningham pointing at DeWanna Bonner during a recent game between the Indiana Fever and Phoenix Mercury. Even the White House acknowledged the viral moment.
While the WNBPA will not profit from the incident, individual players retain the right to use their own likeness for personal merchandise. This allows Sophie Cunningham to potentially create items depicting her gesture, as long as they do not incorporate WNBA or WNBPA branding. A precedent for this was set in 2021 when Kahleah Copper independently sold shirts featuring her staring down Cunningham.
