Pro-Women Brand CEO Reveals Private Message From WNBA Star Who Defended Women’s Sports

Clear Facts

• XX-XY Athletics founder Jennifer Sey revealed she received a private message from WNBA star Sophie Cunningham praising the brand’s viral “Dear Nike” campaign in 2024
• Cunningham is currently under contract with Adidas, which is releasing her first player-exclusive shoe this Friday for $120
• Sey offered to create a Jordan Brand-style line for Cunningham under XX-XY Athletics, featuring her viral finger-pointing pose as the logo
• Cunningham made headlines this week defending women’s sports, stating girls “shouldn’t have to go against biological men” in competition or share locker rooms

Jennifer Sey, founder and CEO of XX-XY Athletics, has revealed private communications with Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham and made an aggressive pitch to bring the WNBA star to her pro-women sportswear brand. Sey told Fox News Digital she would “give my right arm” to convince Cunningham to leave Adidas.

The recruitment effort began after XX-XY Athletics released its “Dear Nike” campaign in October 2024, which challenged the sportswear giant to take a public stand against biological males competing in women’s sports. The ad generated more than 10 million views and caught Cunningham’s attention.

According to Sey, Cunningham not only liked and commented on the ad publicly but also sent a private direct message praising the campaign. Sey claims she didn’t discover the message for months because it landed in a folder for accounts she didn’t follow.

“She liked it and commented on it. She actually wrote me a DM on Instagram, which I didn’t see for months because I’m a moron and I never check the little tab from unknown people,” Sey said.

“Cause there’s just so many in there, I just never look, and I didn’t follow her. I didn’t know who she was. And then a few months later, and she was kind of taking off at this point as Caitlin [Clark]’s defender… I checked that random tab from unknown DMs and she had DMed me about the ad, that she really liked the Dear Nike, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I should have… How did I miss this? I should have responded months ago.'”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Cunningham’s representatives for comment.

Sey’s interest in Cunningham extends beyond her athletic ability. The CEO praised the 29-year-old guard’s personality and willingness to speak her mind — qualities that align with XX-XY Athletics’ brand identity.

“She’s the perfect person for us,” Sey said.

“We have wanted to work with her for such a long time.”

“It’s not just that she’s a fantastic athlete and she’s a currently competing professional athlete,” she added. “She’s just got such an incredible personality. She’s fun and she’s funny and she’s tough and she says what she thinks, and that’s what we’re all about.”

Cunningham is currently under contract with Adidas, which is preparing to release her first publicly available player-exclusive shoe Friday. The Adidas Crazy Energy “Sophie Cunningham” PE will retail for $120 as a colorway of an existing model, not a signature shoe created exclusively for her.

Despite the existing contract, Sey expressed determination to bring Cunningham to XX-XY Athletics. She criticized Adidas for not publicly supporting Cunningham’s recent statements defending women’s sports from biological male competitors.

“I would do anything within my power to get her to defect from Adidas and come to work with us,” Sey said.

“I don’t know that Sophie is likely to do that, but I would give my right arm to have her do it.”

Sey directly challenged Adidas’ commitment to women’s sports, pointing to the company’s 2023 Pride campaign that featured a male-presenting model wearing a swimsuit sold in the women’s section. She also criticized Adidas’ sponsorship of the Boston Marathon, whose rules permit transgender athletes to qualify in their gender category.

“Adidas is not a brand that supports women,” Sey said.

“Even now, when she’s getting a lot of heat, it’s not like Adidas is coming out and saying, ‘We stand with Sophie. We agree women’s sports must be protected.’ They’re silent.”

“They just want to capitalize on sassy Sophie who points,” she added.

“They don’t want to actually stand with her when she says something that makes people angry.”

Sey acknowledged that XX-XY Athletics cannot match Adidas’ financial resources but argued her brand could offer something more valuable: top billing and unconditional support for Cunningham’s views. As a former chief marketing officer and global brand president at Levi Strauss & Co., Sey said she learned to sell partnerships rather than just paychecks.

“I wasn’t offering the most money,” Sey said.

“I was offering the best partnership.”

While declining to name a specific figure, Sey said she would “pull together as much money as I could” to make Cunningham a competitive offer.

“We’re going to be more fun to work with,” Sey said.

“She’s not going to be a third-rate athlete on our roster. She’s going to be number one. And she’s going to be able to say whatever she wants, and we’re going to have her back.”

Sey’s pitch includes creating a Jordan Brand-style line for Cunningham under XX-XY Athletics. After the WNBA Players Association declined to allow its group licensees to commercialize Cunningham’s viral pointing image, Sey posted a silhouette modeled on the pose and offered to produce merchandise with all proceeds going to Cunningham.

The union called the image “derogatory” according to initial reports, though it later explained that it generally avoids monetizing confrontations between its members. The union clarified that Cunningham remains free to license or create her own products.

Sey now envisions using the pointing silhouette as the logo for a Cunningham collection, similar to how Michael Jordan’s Jumpman pose became the symbol of Jordan Brand.

“Sophie can have her own brand like Jordan with us, and that’s the logo,” Sey said.

“That should be the logo for the XX-XY Cunningham collection.”

Cunningham’s profile has risen sharply since she joined Caitlin Clark and the Fever in 2025. She became known as Clark’s on-court defender before becoming one of the WNBA’s most recognizable personalities after her prolonged finger-pointing exchange with Phoenix Mercury veteran DeWanna Bonner went viral in June.

The 29-year-old guard is enjoying one of her most efficient seasons, entering the All-Star break averaging 9.3 points while shooting 47.4% from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range. Her growing popularity has extended beyond basketball, including a recent appearance as a guest ring girl at UFC 329.

Cunningham then entered the center of one of the most divisive issues in American sports. She told ESPN this week that she wanted to protect girls who “shouldn’t have to go against biological men” in sports or share locker rooms with them.

She later doubled down on her position, calling it “common sense” while insisting she does not hate transgender people.

“I said what I said,” Cunningham told reporters Wednesday.

“I think it’s really important to protect children, and that’s little girls who are also involved in that category. I stand on what I said.”

The Fever responded by supporting their players’ right to their own views while maintaining the organization’s commitment to welcoming all fans.

“Our players are thoughtful adults with their own perspectives and voices, and those views are their own,” the organization said.

“We are committed to welcoming fans from every background and treating everyone with respect, and that’s what guides us as an organization.”

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