It’s been a busy week for Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham.

On Tuesday, Cunningham found herself at the center of the fracas that broke out between the Fever and the Connecticut Sun. What started out as a bit of trash talk and shoving between Caitlin Clark and Jacy Sheldon quickly devolved into a bit of chaos near the end of the game.

In the final minute of action, Cunningham committed a hard foul against Sheldon, seemingly in retaliation for the action that had been aimed at Clark, which resulted in both Cunningham and Sheldon getting ejected. In addition, Cunningham received a $400 fine for the Flagrant 2 she was assessed and a second fine of an undisclosed amount for her role in the brawl that followed.

But according to a report from Jacob Feldman at Sportico, Cunningham may very well have already made up the difference in her fine, though by an unconventional means: her follower count.

Since Cunningham’s move in defense of her teammate, she’s seen her TikTok follower count rise rapidly and steadily from roughly 302,000 to more than 1.2 million. Cunningham celebrated her feat of clearing one million followers with, of course, a TikTok dance.

She also posted a video seemingly in reference to her hard foul, mouthing along to the lyrics “I mean I could, but why would I want to?” from the song “Hands to Myself” by Selena Gomez.

In addition to the rise in her follower count, Cunningham has apparently also seen a surge in jersey sales, with them now listed on the Fever’s online store as shipping “on or before July 8.”

“It’s unprecedented growth,” Addison Abdo, who represents Cunningham at sports management agency PRP told Sportico. “We work with some pretty big athletes that have gone viral for some pretty big things, but this has been something that I haven’t seen before—this type of growth in this short amount of time … was very new territory.”

Cunningham is a veteran. While it is her seventh season in the WNBA, it’s just her first with the Fever, having arrived during what was a busy offseason for Indiana as they retooled their roster in hopes of competing for a title.

We’ve seen the Caitlin Clark effect and the rise in interest in the WNBA in general manifest in several interesting ways. Yes, ratings and ticket sales are up across the board, but so are some more specific and direct engagement methods, like voting trends in the upcoming WNBA All-Star Game, or in Cunningham’s case, her follower count.

More WNBA on Sports Illustrated

New Delhi, Jun 20 (PTI) Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) president Devendra Jhajharia on Friday said India will host the “best-ever” World Para Athletics Championships to held here later this year, adding that they are leaving no stone unturned to make the event a grand success.

India will host its first-ever World Para Athletics Championships from September 26 to October 5 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here, which will feature more than 2,500 athletes from over 100 countries competing for 186 medals.

“It is going to be the biggest event in the history of para in India. Over 2,500 athletes and officials will be coming for this event. It is a big opportunity for India,” Jhajharia said during a ceremony to unveil the tournament’s logo and mascot.

“We will conduct the best-ever event in the history of Indian sports. The world will get the message that India have hosted the best event in the history of sports,” said Jhajharia, who is the first Indian to win two gold medals at the Paralympics.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium is currently under renovation with a new track being laid for the competition. Jhajharia assured that everything would be ready before the championships.

“The track and the entire Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium will be ready a month before the tournament. We are taking care of everything in detail, including best boarding facilities for all athletes and delegations of the world. The work is going in the manner which we wanted. All athletes and delegates will be staying in the best hotels of the city,” he said.

Jhajharia said the championships will inspire a generation of Indian para athletes.

“(A) host country automatically gets the benefit. The new players will get opportunity to watch the big stars of the world in para athletics. It will also give a big message that India is ready to host the 2036 Olympics and Paralympics.”

The ceremony on Friday, which also marked the beginning of a 100-day countdown to the tournament, was attended by the Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta as chief guest, Delhi’s Education and Sports Minister Ashish Sood, BJP MP and Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut, who is event’s brand ambassador, as well as the head of the World Para Athletics, Paul Fitzgerald among others.

Fitzgerald said, “In a few months time world’s best para athletes will come here. It is an incredible opportunity to show India to the world. More para athletes will be here than Paris Paralympics. In three months we will create history,” he said.

Ranaut said, “I am here not just to endorse but to amplify and to support all our para athletes.” PTI SSC SSC DDV

Cricketing god Sachin Tendulkar opened up on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s Test retirement ahead of the upcoming five-Test match series against England which will start from June 20. Rohit and Virat announced their retirement from the longest format of the game on May 7 and 12, respectively. 

Batting great Tendulkar agrees that Team India will face a lot of challenges in the absence of Rohit and Virat in the upcoming Test assignment and there will be ups and downs.

“There are going to be multiple challenges and it’s something that everyone looks forward to because it’s not going to be a smooth ride all the way in a five-Test series. There are going to be ups and downs, some challenging moments,” Tendulkar agrees, with a rider as quoted by Hindustan Times.

   

Tendulkar said that all players work hard to get prepared for these kinds of challenges. The cricketing legend believes that Shubman Gill-led India has the ‘firepower’ to counter the challenge in England. 

ALSO READ: Sam Konstas and Josh Inglis in as two star batters featured in WTC final set to miss spot in Australia’s playing XI for first Test against West Indies

 “But that is what all the players work hard for — to prepare themselves for those difficult moments. I think the team has the firepower to counter whatever the England team is going to do. We have the experience also of players like KL Rahul, (Ravindra) Jadeja, (Jasprit) Bumrah… Rishabh (Pant) is experienced now, Shubman is experienced now. We have got these guys. We have Karun (Nair), who has been around. At the international level, he has tasted success and also played a lot of first-class cricket, county cricket here. Yashasvi (Jaiswal). All these guys are there. Sai Sudharsan has looked good. I feel we are very much there. It will be a close encounter. Tendulkar told Hindustan Times. 

ALSO READ: ‘Where we could only be going with some pure batters and…’: Shubman Gill hints India’s playing XI for England Test series

The upcoming five-Test match series against England will see India kick off a brand-new era in Test cricket under Shubman Gill’s captaincy. The upcoming Test series will be India’s first red-ball assignment after the back-to-back retirements of Ravichandran Ashwin, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from the longest format of the game.

India squad for England Tests: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana.     

Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman are WNBA veterans whose careers add up to 15 years in the league. But in 2025, they broke new ground simply by launching a Twitch channel called “StudBudz,” which in just two weeks has already drawn over 10,000 followers.

The concept is simple: Williams and Hiedeman sit together, turn on the camera and hang out like two friends, except this time with thousands of people watching through their screens. Whether they’re reacting to WNBA games, interviewing teammates and competitors, or dyeing their hair pink, fans tune in for streams that range from 90 minutes to four hours.

“It just started off with friendship, really. And, you know, we knew about Twitch, so we just thought it would be a good idea for us to get on there. We didn’t know it was gonna, like, blow up that fast,” Hiedeman told Forbes. “There’s so many people on there, but it’s been really fun for us. And me and Courtney have been spending a lot of time together.”

Now teammates on the Minnesota Lynx, Williams and Hiedeman have brought others from the squad on stream, including Alissa Pili, who showed off her singing chops, and Diamond Miller, now a recurring guest. But the vibe isn’t limited to teammates—rivals are joining the fun too.

DiJonai Carrington, a guard-forward with the Dallas Wings, appeared in person from the team hotel during a Lynx road trip. Another time, Marina Mabrey joined via FaceTime.

“Honestly, we’ve been, we’ve been getting a lot of support, and I think a lot of players want to come on, so definitely going to have more players and people on in the future and super excited for that,” Hiedeman said.

Players now use social media on their own terms

StudBudz is catching fire at a time when WNBA players are taking greater control of their image and using digital platforms to share real, unfiltered moments. Hiedeman and Williams chose Twitch, but others are leaning into TikTok.

NaLyssa Smith and Carrington often go live on TikTok to casually chat with fans. Kamilla Cardoso has become widely known for her hilarious livestreams, often using wigs and props and clapping back at trolls without hesitation. More recently, Mabrey—already a fan favorite—gained even more reach after spending her offseason with the 3×3 league Unrivaled.

Williams and Hiedeman also played in Unrivaled during the offseason, a league that has leaned heavily on media to amplify both its brand and its athletes’ individual stories. Many players are now carrying those lessons into the WNBA season.

“Content and player storytelling is at the core of Unrivaled, and players have increasingly recognized the power that social media holds when it comes to amplifying their unique personalities off the court,” Unrivaled Chief Content Officer John Learing told Forbes. “It was important for us to give players the platform and resources to lean into their social presence, and it’s been fun to watch them take advantage of the environment Unrivaled created in Miami to continue building their brands in this way.”

For Hiedeman, it’s about knowing how to use social media to your advantage:

“Obviously, the internet could be very good, it could be very bad. So just being seen in a positive light, I think that the internet has given a lot of people opportunities to show who they are off the court, and I think it’s important for you know fans to get to see just not who we are as athletes but as people as well.”

Authenticity at the top of the game

What sets this player-driven content apart is its authenticity. It helps fans connect with players as people, not just athletes. In the case of StudBudz, Williams and Hiedeman highlight a part of the WNBA community that has often been sidelined in mainstream marketing: lesbian “studs,” or women who present in a more masculine way.

But for Hiedeman, it’s not about messaging—it’s just real life.

“I think it’s just who we are, and I think that me and Courtney just embrace who we are as people, who we are as athletes. And I think that’s kind of where the name came from. For sure, we’re just two stud buds hanging out,” she said.

And the visibility is paying off. StudBudz has been picked up by major outlets and women’s sports-focused accounts, proving that the appetite for athlete-led content is strong.

“I feel like we got a lot of support. You know, we were shared on ESPN, Overtime, you know, a couple mentions from the commentators during games, on the Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe podcast,” Hiedeman said. “So definitely a lot of love. And I think people are really enjoying it. So, yeah, the traction is great, and we love it. We’ve been having fun. And again, we just being ourselves.”

With visibility comes opportunity. Twitch offers monetization through its Affiliate and Partner programs, along with features like Subscriptions and Bits. There’s also room for brand sponsorships and cross-promotion, all of which can grow out of the success of a single stream.

And the StudBudz are already thinking ahead.

“I think the future is super bright for us, and exciting. We got merch coming out, everything. So it’s gonna be, it’s gonna be a vibe,” Hiedeman said.

Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown is kind to everyone, unless you’re his opponent on the court or the sneaker giant Nike. His latest act of kindness has once again won over the internet for all the right reasons.

A touching video of the Celtics shooting guard gently instructing a young fan on proper shooting form has gone viral on social media. This adorable moment reminds fans that some of his assists happen off the court as well.

Jaylen Brown Teaching Kid to Shoot Basketball Wins Hearts

Brown recently underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee to address a partially torn meniscus he had been playing through during the 2025 NBA Playoffs. He had been dealing with persistent knee pain since February.

Despite the discomfort, he averaged 22.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in 11 playoff games. After the Celtics were eliminated in the second round, reports revealed that he had been receiving pain management injections to keep playing. Fans were shocked to learn he was fighting through such a serious injury.

The good news is that he is recovering well after the surgery and has even been attending community events, once again winning over fans’ hearts. All this admiration surged after a viral clip showed the Celtics star gently teaching a young fan how to square up and shoot before signing his basketball.

Jaylen Brown teaching one kid to square up and shoot before signing the basketball pic.twitter.com/0SdAI4NpMC

— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) June 19, 2025

The moment, captured during a community event at the Berkshire Partners Blue Hill Club in Dorchester, Massachusetts, has been widely shared on social media. One user called it “so wholesome ,” while another summed up the heartwarming gesture in a single word: “Adorable.”

Longtime followers of Brown’s community efforts weren’t surprised. As one noted, “JB’s been doing this kind of stuff for years. It’s wonderful to see! It clearly means a lot esp to the kids!”

Thanks for sharing, Noa! I always love your reporting on the players & the community connections they foster. Based on what people who live out in Boston have said, JB’s been doing this kind of stuff for yrs now. It’s wonderful to see! It clearly means a lot esp to the kids!

— _seaglass (@____seaglass) June 19, 2025

On Thursday, Brown arrived at the event carrying a single crutch to support his recovering knee. But that didn’t stop him from spending hours with those small kids. He smiled for photos, talked with families, and connected with students of all ages.

It has been reported that he gifted 125 pairs of his 741 Performance sneakers to the children who attended the event. When a reporter asked what he enjoyed most about events like this, the 28-year-old gave a heartfelt answer. He said, “To be honest, I feel like this stuff kind of helps heal the soul– being able to touch the community, being a member of your community.”

Asked Jaylen Brown about his favorite part of these community events:

“To be honest, I feel like this stuff kind of helps heal the soul — being able to touch the community, being a member of your community.” https://t.co/lDLRzLdjle pic.twitter.com/CJeUrWrCYY

— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) June 19, 2025

Brown’s passion for giving back to the community isn’t anything new. Through his 7uice Foundation, he’s worked to empower youth by supporting education, leadership, and financial literacy. The foundation’s Bridge Program is particularly empowering for individuals who aspire to have careers in STEM or STEAM.

Brown’s most meaningful assist this week seems to come from a simple, adorable moment with a young fan.

A Nigerian university has come under fire after a video of staff seemingly touching female students to check whether or not they were wearing a bra ahead of taking an exam went viral online.

In the clip, several ladies in attendance at Olabisi Onabanjo University in south-western Ogun State could be seen queueing up to enter the facilities examination all before being approached by staff.

The professors – all of whom were female – could then be seen touching the chest regions of the students as they prepared to sit their tests.

According to CNN, students confirmed the video was shot at their university, however, it is unknown when the video was taken. Olabisi Onabanjo University have yet to officially comment on the incident.

Following immediate backlash prompted by the video doing the rounds on social media, a student leader at the university attempted to defend the protocol, claiming that refusing to wear a bra goes against the institute’s dress code.

Several spokespeople for the university have addressed the controversy (X/Olabisi Onabanjo)

Said dress code, they added, assists in maintaining ‘a distraction-free environment’, the BBC reports. The unnamed student leader acknowledged, however, that the policy on clothing being enforced in such a way could be seen as controversial.

A Human Right Network campaign member has also spoken out on the hotly-debated clip, telling the BBC that the female students in the video are well within their right to sue the university for violation.

Haruna Ayagi told the publication: “Unwarranted touches on another person’s body is a violation and could lead to legal action. The university is wrong to adopt this method to curb indecent dressing.”

One of the female students in the video has since come forward, anonymously telling the publication that the university’s strict clothing code is a moral issue, adding that the institution has no religious alignments.

However, she further claimed that their clothes were always being checked.

The President of Olabisi Onabanjo University’s student union, Muizz Olatunji, has since reiterated the aim behind the intimate uniform checks online, and even shared a screenshot of the institution’s official dress code on X.

The school’s Code of Conduct listed types of clothing that would be deemed inappropriate (OOU Portal)

In the ‘indecent dressing’ code, it lists a ban on attire ‘capable of making the same or opposite sex to lust after the student in an indecent manner’, such as ‘any dressing by a student which shows sensitive parts of the student’s body, such as breasts, buttocks, nipples and belly-buttons’.

“[The university promotes] a dress-code policy aimed at maintaining a respectful and distraction-free environment, encouraging students to dress modestly and in line with the institution’s values,” Olatunji continued.

In his statement, the student union rep added that the policy is far from new, and that the union had ‘engaged with the institution to explore alternative approaches to addressing indecent dressing, focusing on respectful and dignified interactions between students and staff’ previously.

LADbible Group has contacted Olabisi Onabanjo University for comment.