WNBA player Sophie Cunningham knows the attention that comes with professional basketball can swing from applause to condemnation. In a wide-ranging conversation with comedian and podcast host Theo Von, she described Christianity as the constant that keeps either reaction from defining her.
Cunningham, a guard for the Indiana Fever and host of the basketball podcast No Hesitation, discussed faith during the October 28 episode of Von’s This Past Weekend. Von, a stand-up comedian known for his conversational interviews with entertainers, athletes, and public figures, shifted the discussion to her adult baptism and relationship with Jesus.
“I love Jesus,” said Cunningham.
“I rely on my faith. Because of what I do for a living, you get a lot of hate, you get a lot of praise… it keeps me stable,” added Cunningham.
Cunningham said she grew up Catholic and now considers herself a nondenominational Christian. Faith, she explained, helps her remain morally grounded rather than allowing fans or critics to dictate her identity.
“I’m not living for their praise,” Cunningham told Von.
A Conversation About Prayer, Distance And Grace
Von responded that “prayer connection” gives him a sense of connection with God, but his busy schedule sometimes leaves him feeling spiritually distant.
He compared that feeling to a phone battery running low.
Cunningham reassured him, saying, “there’s nothing that you can or can’t do that’s going to separate you from God’s love, grace, and forgiveness.”
Von explained that he feels more of a personal connection when he is “prayed up.”
They also discussed whether public Christianity receives fair treatment in the media and whether more athletes now speak openly about their beliefs.
Why Cunningham Has Faced Public Scrutiny
Cunningham has also drawn national attention for advocating sex-based eligibility standards in women’s sports, stating that is it just “common sense.” The dispute has reached North Texas, where demonstrators rallied over her position, as The Dallas Express previously covered.
Her comments to Von did not claim that faith settles those disagreements. Instead, she described how her beliefs shape her response to acclaim and criticism.
From Texas Ballparks To Hollywood
Cunningham is not alone in making personal Christianity part of a public conversation.
In June, Texas Rangers players participated in the club’s Faith and Family Night, with numerous players sharing testimonies about the role of religion in their lives, as The Dallas Express previously covered.
This week, former NFL quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow challenged an audience of approximately 1,500 at the Council for Life’s 25th anniversary luncheon in Dallas to turn conviction into service to vulnerable people. An October 30 column in The Dallas Express recounted his remarks. His message centered on how faith should inform priorities and action rather than merely public declarations.
In entertainment, actor Chris Pratt has repeatedly addressed the tension between celebrity and belief. On a January episode of the RELEVANT podcast, he discussed using his platform to express his faith. In a March television interview, he also connected faith with maintaining perspective under Hollywood’s pressures, according to Fox News.
For Cunningham, the issue returns to a personal question that does not depend on the scoreboard or public approval: what remains steady when praise turns to criticism? Her answer, in the October 28 conversation, was faith.
