Nightaps: WNBA's Sophie Cunningham Tops Social Media as College Football Returns

Nightcaps is your daily dose of the biggest sports, news, and culture stories you likely missed while pretending to work. The column runs Monday through Friday on OutKick.com. Listen closely. You hear it? You smell it? It is officially college football week. We have arrived. This marks our first real game week since January, or perhaps December depending on how generous you feel with the calendar. I refuse to hear a single word about "It's only Week Zero!" That is nonsense. Last I checked, we are getting a noon ESPN game featuring Bill Belichick on Saturday. That is not Week Zero. That is football. We are back. Last Saturday was our last Saturday without college football until 2027. Time to lock it in, boys and girls. Move over, WNBA, the real content machine is returning. But first, welcome to a Monday Nightcaps where Sophie Cunningham stunned in a backless halter top and then surpassed Caitlin Clark in social media followers. What a day! Oh yeah. Something else happened in the WNBA last night. Honestly, I just do not feel like getting into it today. I am tired. It is football season. I am going to sit this one out, sort of. What else? Trump angered the left by waving the green flag along the streets of D.C. Deshaun Watson somehow survived his asinine postgame presser to become the Browns' starter today. Sorry, Cleveland fans. Jon Gruden was BACK in the booth over the weekend. And buddy, he was incredible. Here is an idea for CBS: Maybe pair him with Jim Nantz. Just a thought. OK, let us get rolling. I inexplicably have a fantasy football draft tonight even though it is Aug. 24. Unreal. Grab you a waffle for National Waffle Day and settle in for a Monday Cap! Sophie Cunningham tunes out the noise and takes a big step. Big day in the world of fast food or whatever you consider Chick-fil-A. Is it fast food? It is a step above, for sure, but I do not know what to call it. Anyway, they are rolling out their big Chicken & Waffles AND S'mores Milkshake today to coincide with National Waffle Day. Gives me a stomach ache just thinking about it, but I reckon it will be good. Lord knows it will be an absolute pleasure ordering it. I maintain that there is no better food service business on the planet than Chick-fil-A. They are just incredible. Let me know if you pop on over to one today and try it out. I do not see myself indulging any time soon given it is 110 degrees in Florida right now and Chicken & Waffles sounds horrible, but I am curious to hear your thoughts. Now that the important stuff is out of the way, let us get this class started with Sophie Cunningham going with the backless top on social media before last night's game, and then surpassing Caitlin Clark in a big way when the dust settled. That number says 4 million, folks. Why is that big? It now puts Sophie in second place in terms of follower count in all of the WNBA, ahead of Caitlin Clark. Angel Reese is No. 1 for those wondering. She has over 5 million. Fair is fair, and I have to be fair to Angel here. The data says she is still No. 1. Kudos to her. As for Sophie Cunningham, it is pretty clear she is a rocket ship right now in terms of popularity. The minority hates her, but do not be fooled, they are the minority. The data says she is a few months away from taking over the top spot in the WNBA. It is only a matter of time. And when that happens, we can really start to laugh at people like this regarding transphobic comments and political discourse. That quote comes from a real person by the way.

Chris Williamson lists himself as an Emmy-nominated sportscaster on his X profile, which currently displays a photo of Angel Reese at the top. That bio is hilarious enough to make you stop scrolling and just stare.

Let's revisit the ESPN story claiming he made transphobic remarks. The quote in question reads: "I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I'm like, 'I never once said that.' I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn't have to go against biological men."

Those are the so-called transphobic comments! People like this are the best. They never get enough of their own kind.

Now let's check in on Adam Schiff. He had a meltdown yesterday because Donald Trump waved the green flag for an IndyCar race in Washington DC.

"While you struggle with the cost of gas, Trump offers you the spectacle of an IndyCar race hoping you will not notice," Shifty Schiff posted on Elon's X. "More taxpayer money spent on his self-aggrandizing distractions. And you get higher taxes and higher costs."

Hey Shifty, cool it down. Can we just enjoy some Freedom 250 racing action in peace? It is Sunday after all. We do not need to be serious every single day of the week. It is perfectly fine to give things a rest on a Sunday.

Looking at you WNBA.

Let's rapid-fire this Monday class into a big Monday night draft auction that I am zero percent prepared for because it was sprung on me last night. Should end well!

First up? How about the NUTS on the Browns declaring Deshaun Watson QB1 after he took a blowtorch to the fanbase over the weekend?

That last point is what really sticks out to me. Deshaun Watson isn't a good quarterback anymore. It has been years since he was actually good at football. Years. And I was a huge Watson guy out of college.

But he is just genuinely bad at football now. Mix in some ridiculous shots at a fanbase that has every single right in the world to despise him, and it is bonkers to me that they would still name him the starter for Week 1.

Granted, Shedeur Sanders is no better at football, but at least he would buy you a little grace with the fans.

I feel bad for OutKick writer Anthony Farris. I still talk to Anthony every day. He is hanging in there.

By that I mean he is miserable.

Next? You know who isn't miserable? Jon Gruden. How great was it to have Gruden back in the booth this weekend?

Nobody could break down a play better than Gruden back in the old MNF days. He was elite. One of one. Clearly, he still has the fastball. Lordy, I missed him.

Hey CBS, I found your Romo replacement. Easiest call in the history of time.

You're welcome!

Let's go have a big week.

Is Week 0 the real start of the season? Email me at [email protected].