The Herd with Colin Cowherd – "Show Me Something"

Episode Date: August 27, 2025
Guests: Sophie Cunningham, West (co-host)
Episode Theme:
A candid and lively conversation with WNBA player Sophie Cunningham, exploring the realities of post-surgery recovery, honest insights into the WNBA season (particularly the Indiana Fever vs. Minnesota Lynx matchups), mode culture, iconic NYC events like the US Open, celebrity run-ins (including Real Housewives and designer Kristin Juszczyk), and perspectives on authenticity in sports, fashion, and charity.

1. Surgery, Recovery, and Painkiller Real Talk

Timestamps: 00:56 – 05:15

• Sophie shares her recent surgery process and struggles with pain meds:
  • "Honestly, that's been a freaking show… I react so weird to pain meds… I was on Hydros… then I got to oxy, and you're only supposed to take one, but… I had to take like two and a half, and then I was finally feeling good." (01:25)
  • "I could feel every little, like, cut and incision they did on my knee." (01:50)
• Challenges of Post-Surgery Life:
  • Discusses the struggle to straighten the knee after surgery, not just bend it.
  • Highlights the difficulty staying positive and healthy—"I've been so bad because...I had Burger King, I've had a box of donuts and I went to Texas Roadhouse..." (03:21)
  • Jokes about food reviews: "All I'm doing is sitting around and eating... I think I'm going to start doing like food reviews." (02:56)
  • Honest takes on side effects: "Painkillers are gonna blow you up because you… it's like impossible." (04:38)
    • "I've been literally just inhaling food. And nothing's come out." — Sophie (04:43)
  • Laughs about needing laxatives and sharing bowel movement updates on future pods.

2. US Open and Social vs. Sport Vibes

Timestamps: 06:15 – 13:15

• Is the US Open more about tennis or the scene?
  • "I'm working on appreciating this sport...but the country club sports of it all..." (06:38)
  • "If we're being totally honest, the US Open in New York, I feel like it's kind of a social event." — West (07:15)
  • The culture is more about "vibes," networking, and fashion than hard-core fandom.
• Run-ins with Celebrities & Housewives Crossover:
  • West meets Meredith Marks (Real Housewives of Salt Lake City):
    • "I swear to God...she goes, shut up. Like, show me. Like, she was so hype." — West (08:44)
    • "Can we please get her on the show? I'm not even lying." — Sophie (09:43)
• Exclusive US Open Culture:
  • Describes the "Honey Deuce" cocktail—the event's signature, wildly popular (and expensive) drink.
    • "The revenue that they make from these drinks… it's enough to pay the prize money for the men's and women's champion." (12:17)
  • Food in the luxury suites includes sushi and lobster rolls; the event is branded as "bougie."
  • Memorable fact: US Open sold a record $12.8M of Honey Deuce cocktails in 2024.

3. WNBA Deep Dive: Fever vs. Lynx & League Trends

Timestamps: 18:39 – 24:35

• Minnesota Lynx Praise:
  • "Their offense... She [head coach Cheryl Reeve] is a genius... like, they run a motion offense, everyone on the floor can shoot, everyone cuts, everyone passes the ball...the ball movement they have is ridiculous." — Sophie (18:49)
  • Highlights Nafisa Collier's exceptional play and her Missouri ties.
    • "She's probably the best player in our league. She's a hell of a player." — Sophie (20:26)
• Parallel Evolution: WNBA and NBA
  • "You don't really see a lot of standard post players anymore..." (21:55)
  • Tracks how offensive evolution (spacing, shooters, ball movement) in the NBA has paralleled the WNBA, citing Candace Parker as a key transitional figure.
  • "Now, even bigs are shooting the ball." (21:55)
  • "My kids are going to be frigging guards. Like, they are going to learn how to be guards regardless of how big they are." — Sophie (24:00)
• Fever's Underdog Status & Injury Woes:
  • "Our team has fought… for us to have the roster we do, that's pretty freaking big." — Sophie (24:26)
  • Discusses challenges of constant roster turnover:
    • "At the end of the day...it's hard to catch a rhythm and chemistry when you only have two days together." (26:16)
  • On team building: "You have to peak at the right time. That’s what it is in the whole season." (25:11)
    • All-Star break is seen as key moment to start peaking.

4. Fashion, Athlete Tunnels & Merch Culture

Timestamps: 29:39 – 38:05

• Sophie and West embrace their fashion lanes:
  • West shows off streetwear collab: "They're called Pluto Golf, it's a golf streetwear brand...and it's a collab with Captain Morgan." (29:43)
  • Sophie is set to model designer Kristin Juszczyk's jackets, joining the ranks of high-profile NFL player wives and Taylor Swift:
    • "She's going to the W, and so I'm going to be one of the first W players to rock her style in tomorrow's tunnel fit." (32:09)
  • "She [Kristin] seems like the nicest human…and she's absolutely stunning." — Sophie (32:16)
  • Both express the need to be creative with fashion:
    • On designer clothes: "I don't really wear designer...everything I wear is from eBay or thrift shops." — West (34:25)
    • On functionality: "I could never get myself to spend like...a thousand plus dollars on a white shirt that you could literally get at Target." — Sophie (36:17)
  • Athlete tunnel fits: Can't outfit-repeat; stylists and staple pieces are key for that "mix-and-match" look.

5. WNBA Lifestyle: Team Housing, Moving Realities & Financials

Timestamps: 39:53 – 44:04

• Team Logistics:
  • Describes the nuanced process of moving cities as a professional athlete:
    • "Each team...pay[s] for shipping...Anything you have to move, if it’s your car, plus bags…they pay for all that. You can choose to do team housing...or get a stipend and live where you want." — Sophie (40:16)
  • Details about WNBA team housing vs. buying, and the appeal of living rent-free into your late 20s.
  • "There are some teams that…not great." (41:25)

6. Local Allegiances: Adopting (or Not) the Home Team

Timestamps: 42:33 – 45:26

• On supporting teams in athlete’s current city:
  • Sophie: "[In Phoenix] I became a Diamondbacks fan…Cardinals fan…Coyotes fan…Here [Indy] I’ve definitely become a Pacers fan. I think that I'll definitely go and check out the Colts…Deep down, I always have my team, which is the Chiefs." (43:33–44:08)
  • Discussion of “loyalty” vs. embracing where you currently live, with a nod to players like Jayson Tatum.
    • "I think for me, I am not shy. Like, everyone knows I'm a huge Chiefs fan...But will I go and support the Colts for a game? Yeah!" — Sophie (45:09)

7. Authenticity in Sports, Charity & Purpose

Timestamps: 46:36 – 51:48

• Doing Purposeful Charity Work:
  • West shares a charity event supporting foster dogs:
    • "It felt so good...to do something that is important and helps people...The idea is that people can meet them and then hopefully adopt...even if it’s just a day to give the dogs some love." (46:36–47:50)
  • Discusses how having a platform brings opportunities for giving back—especially in meaningful, authentic ways tied to their real life and passions.
    • "I think it's important for it to come from somewhere so it's not just like throwing a dart at a board..." (50:44)
  • "If you don't fully believe in it, then you're just going to half ass it, and that's never going to be good." — Sophie (51:10)

8. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Their offense…She is a genius…They run a motion offense, everyone on the floor can shoot, everyone cuts, everyone passes…ball movement is ridiculous." — Sophie Cunningham on Lynx Head Coach Cheryl Reeve (18:49)
• "I've been literally just inhaling food, and nothing's come out." — Sophie, on painkiller side effects (04:43)
• "I feel like that's a good way to end on the most positive note ever." — West (51:52)
• "Hopefully you have a BM for the next podcast." — West, continuing the running digestive update joke (46:17)
• "I think that what you had to say, all of that is, like, so valid and real." — Sophie, on navigating a rough season (25:11)

9. Episode Flow & Tone

• Energetic, unfiltered, and deeply honest: The co-hosts riff on everything from practical realities of being a pro athlete, to personal challenges, to the social fabric of elite sports events. The episode weaves humor, raw experience, and thoughtful takes on sport, fashion, and life purpose.
• Inside access: Real talk about what happens behind the scenes—housing, contracts, medical complications, and the fickle nature of team chemistry.
• Inclusive, community-oriented: Both hosts are eager to engage with fans, consider listener questions, and highlight ways athletes can give back.

10. Listener Callout

Timestamp: 52:45

• Sophie invites listeners to call in questions for the next episode:
  "If you have a question for me or West...about love, life, advice, or you just want us to talk about certain things, you guys can actually call us now…"

Recommended Listening Segments

• Post-Surgery & Life on Painkillers: 00:56–05:15
• Real Housewives/US Open Crossover: 08:14–10:03
• Insightful WNBA X's and O's: 18:39–26:35
• Fashion Tunnel Fits & Kristin Juszczyk: 31:38–33:17
• Charity, Platform & Purpose: 46:36–51:48

For fans and first-timers, this episode delivers both the laughs and the learning—unfiltered WNBA truths, deep-cut athlete lifestyles, authentic thoughts on sports culture, and plenty of fashion and fun.