Sophie Cunningham was back to where it all started, home. She flew back to Columbia for her annual 'Sophie Cunningham Classic' basketball event. But this was not just another camp, and one moment surely stood out from the entire day's agenda.

From the instant Cunningham stepped onto the Columbia College campus in her Missouri sweatshirt, it was clear that the weekend would be one about connection and community.

However, one gesture is going viral for a heartfelt reason. A little girl stood patiently with a marker in hand, wearing a Caitlin Clark Indiana Fever jersey. Cunningham spotted her and walked over, knelt, smiled, and signed the jersey.

She made the young fan's day. It didn't matter if the jersey she was wearing had the number 22 on it. She even posed for a photo with the excited fan after giving her the autograph.

Day 1 of the 3-day programme had many other children, parents and coaches present. The gym buzzed with girls of different ages, backgrounds and skill levels, all gathered to see the hometown hero who made it to the pros and was now giving back to the community.

“We want them to leave here thinking they can do anything,” she told Mizzou in the on-court interview, perfectly summing up the heart of the event.

The Sophie Cunningham Classic has grown a lot since its starting years

The event had visibly more sponsors than last year, something Nathalie Jones brought up while interviewing Cunningham. One of the special sponsors mentioned was Arby's, whose partnership started from Cunningham’s viral 'Hot Girls Eat Arby’s' t-shirt.

“I gained a bigger platform this year, so I thought there’s more to give back,” Cunningham said. “It’s not about me, it’s about giving to the girls.” Over the past year, she was one of Google’s most searched athletes, standing 7th in the top 10 as the only woman on the list. Her goal with this is simple: give local athletes high-level exposure without forcing them to leave the region.

But despite the spotlight, Cunningham remains refreshingly relatable off-court. She’s shared everything from rehab updates to a recent family mishap where she was accidentally left at the airport.

Written by

Fatema Kapasi

Edited by

Joyita Das