Sophie Cunningham gives her honest take on Sydney Sweeney’s highly controversial ad

Sophie Cunningham isn't one to stay quiet, and this week she finally weighed in on the Sydney Sweeney gambling ad controversy that's had social media buzzing for days. The Indiana Fever guard tackled the topic on her podcast, calling out the campaign while still leaving room to defend Sweeney's right to cash in on her fame.Cunningham admitted she wasn't a fan of how the ad played out, questioning its authenticity from the jump. But she wasn't interested in piling on the actress either. Here's what she actually said, and why the ad drew so much heat in the first place.Sophie Cunningham joins Sydney Sweeney ad debate with her takeSophie Cunningham addressed the ongoing chatter this week, tackling it head-on during an episode of her podcast, No Hesitation With Sophie Cunningham & Drew Hanlen. She said her phone had been flooded with texts and comments from people begging her to share an opinion, so she decided it was finally time.Her first question cut straight to the point: does Sweeney even gamble on sports? "Like it's just so unauthentic," she said, laying out her skepticism about the whole campaign. Cunningham wasn't shocked by how Sweeney chose to represent the brand, noting it's simply the kind of marketing the actress has built her career on."I have so many takes, but first of all, does she even gamble on sports? Like, it's just so inauthentic. Now, here's my hot take… Why are girls mad? Like, that is literally what she does. Why is anyone mad? Like… of course that's going to draw attention,” the Fever guard shared.Still, she made clear she wasn't thrilled with this particular execution, admitting she wondered what exactly the ad was trying to accomplish. Again, do I agree with it? “Morally, I think it's kind of weird, but like, to each their own. Go do your thing, sis," Cunningham added.She also pushed back on the backlash itself, wondering aloud why so many women were upset over something that's essentially just Sweeney doing what she's always done. Cunningham called the outrage a little confusing, though she said she understood why some found the ad morally odd. Despite her criticism, she was quick to add that she genuinely likes Sweeney and doesn't think women should tear each other down over choices like this. Her closing message was simple: let Sweeney make her money and do her thing.Why was Sydney Sweeney's ad controversial?The commercial in question features Sweeney posing in minimal clothing alongside sports equipment to promote a sports prediction platform, a visual pairing that got people talking almost instantly. Several athletes felt the ad leaned entirely on Sweeney's image rather than any genuine connection to sports or gambling, and that rubbed plenty of fans the wrong way.Sweeney responded to some of the criticism by sharing photos of male and female athletes who had posed n*de for ESPN The Magazine, seemingly drawing a comparison to her own shoot.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.