The WNBA and Sophie Cunningham Are Headed for a Split

I think it is going to become increasingly clear over the next few months that Sophie Cunningham and the WNBA are heading in different directions.

From my perspective, bringing Cunningham into the Indiana Fever orbit was one of the biggest mistakes the organization made during the Caitlin Clark era. Cunningham arrived with a ready-made persona as the tough enforcer, the outspoken defender, the so-called “MAGA Barbie” and that identity quickly became more valuable to her brand than anything she was doing on the basketball court.

That is the problem.

She is not a good enough player to justify becoming a constant sideshow. Teams will tolerate noise from superstars because superstars win games. Cunningham is a role player whose public profile has become much larger than her basketball value, and I don’t see many WNBA front offices deciding that is a combination they need.

My guess is Cunningham will continue saying she wants to play because remaining connected to the league keeps the story alive. But her more lucrative future may eventually be somewhere else entirely.

There is an obvious lane waiting for her in conservative media.

She can become the former WNBA player who constantly explains why the league supposedly mistreated her, why everyone was against her, and why she was punished for speaking her mind. That narrative will play extremely well inside the audience she has cultivated.

Think Riley Gaines with a basketball résumé.

And it will probably work. There is money and attention available in becoming a permanent cultural victim.

But outside that silo, plenty of people will see something much simpler: a mediocre player who discovered that controversy, grievance and proximity to Caitlin Clark created a much bigger platform than basketball ever did.

If Cunningham ultimately leaves the WNBA and turns attacking the league into her next career, nobody should be surprised.

It increasingly looks like that was the destination all along.

-CW