The Purpose of the Tweet Directed at Sophie Cunningham Was To Hurt, Provoke, and Start a Typical Online Tirade. When the Wnba Player Calmly Read It Out on a Live Broadcast, It Backfired Spectacularly Instead, Suddenly Grabbing the Attention of Viewers Across the Country and Leaving the Room in Stunned Silence. The Expectation Was Clear When Sophie Cunningham Was Accused of Being “Dangerous” and Her Competitive Fire Was Framed as a Potential Public Threat. It Would Be Amplified via the Internet. There Would Be Indignation. It Would Turn Into a Cacophony. These Things Typically Proceed Like That. However, Sophie Cunningham Did Something Unexpected.
“YOU NEED TO SHUT UP!” — the tweet aimed at Sophie Cunningham was clearly designed to provoke outrage, to spark a viral backlash, and to reduce a complex athlete into…