"Stop playin with him": Sophie Cunningham shows love as ex-Iowa star Gavin Hoffman stuns in Mizzou threads

Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham showed love to former Iowa player Gavin Hoffman, who spent his freshman year in college playing tight end for the Hawkeyes. He entered the transfer portal on April 3 and has now joined Missouri.

Hoffman posted pictures of himself on Instagram, donning a Mizzou jersey, and Cunningham reacted to her cousin, showing him love for joining her alma mater in the comments section.

“🔥Yes sir!!! Stop playin with him,” Cunningham wrote.

Cunningham’s sister, Lindsey, also reacted to Hoffman’s post:

“Eighty-ateeee 🔥.”

Sophie and Lindsey Cunningham’s comments under Gavin Hoffman’s Instagram post.

After being with the Phoenix Mercury for the entirety of her WNBA career, Sophie Cunningham joined the Indiana Fever this offseason. In a short time, she has grown into one of the team’s leaders and has been key off the bench.

She is averaging 5.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. Her numbers may seem underwhelming, but Cunningham contributes in other ways and is a solid defender. She is also looked at as one of the Fever’s "enforcers" since her altercation with the Connecticut Sun’s Jacy Sheldon.

Sophie Cunningham on being labeled a ‘dirty player’

Sophie Cunningham put her foot down after committing a hard foul on Jacy Sheldon during the Fever-Sun game on June 17. She aggressively took down Sheldon late in the fourth quarter, kicking off a scuffle among the teams.

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Since Cunningham has been slammed and labeled by many as a “dirty player.” She addressed the label on Thursday and said it goes back to her college days.

"For me, I don't listen to all that noise," she told Slam Online. "I got that stuff in college, too.

“We beat South Carolina multiple years in a row and all of a sudden I'm the dirty player. And it's like, 'Nah, I'm just out working.' I'm working y'all's a*s, you know what I mean?”

Cunningham added that she only wishes to be the best competitor and is willing to do whatever it takes to win. As long as she is doing that, the outside noise doesn’t bother her.

Her Indiana Fever will return to the court on Tuesday to take on the Minnesota Lynx.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by John Maxwell