Key Takeaways
- Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham is reportedly shopping a tell-all book as her profile explodes beyond the WNBA, with millions of Instagram followers, a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit appearance, sold-out Adidas shoes, and top-selling jerseys.
- She has become a flashpoint in league conversations after defending her stance on transgender participation in women’s sports and rejecting DiJonai Carrington’s “WHITE PRIVILEGE” accusation following their on-court confrontation.
- Cunningham is also leaning into crossover fame with a surprise ring girl spot at UFC 329 and interest from WWE, building on a hard-nosed WNBA career that began with a record-setting run at Missouri and a 2019 first-round selection by the Phoenix Mercury.
Sophie Cunningham may be ready to put her increasingly eventful WNBA career on the page.
The Indiana Fever guard is reportedly shopping a tell-all book to publishers, with industry sources telling Page Six that the project could attract multiple bidders. Details about the book's proposed contents, potential publisher, and release date have not been disclosed, and a representative for Cunningham did not respond to the outlet's request for comment.
The reported project arrives as Cunningham's profile has expanded dramatically beyond basketball. The 30-year-old has more than 3.7 million Instagram followers, has appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, and recently saw her Adidas shoes sell out. She also reportedly holds two of the five best-selling jerseys in the WNBA.
But Cunningham has also spent much of the season at the center of conversations about the league itself.
In a July interview with ESPN, Cunningham addressed criticism she received over her position on transgender participation in women's sports. "I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans," she said. "And I'm like, 'I never once said that.'"
"I think that I am here to extend love," Cunningham continued. "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."
Cunningham was back in the headlines days later following an on-court confrontation with Chicago Sky guard DiJonai Carrington. After Carrington was ejected for a hard foul on Cunningham and subsequently posted "WHITE PRIVILEGE @indianafever" on Threads, Cunningham rejected the characterization.
"This has nothing to do with race," Cunningham told reporters. "Last year, I did the same thing, and I got kicked out. And I deserved to be kicked out. There's no reason even to play that card."
Her visibility hasn't been limited to controversy. Cunningham made an impromptu appearance as a ring girl at UFC 329 in Las Vegas after asking UFC CEO Dana White if she could carry a round card.
She has also revealed that WWE approached her about a possible future appearance. "They asked me to do it," Cunningham said on her Show Me Something podcast. "Maybe after I retire or off-season, maybe us two will be the new WWE duo."
All of that comes after a basketball career that began with a record-setting run at Missouri. Cunningham finished as the Tigers' all-time leading scorer before the Phoenix Mercury selected her No. 13 overall in the 2019 WNBA Draft. She was later traded to Indiana, where her physical play alongside Caitlin Clark helped introduce her to an even larger audience.
