Caitlin Clark, Nelly Korda & Others React to Sophie Cunningham’s Viral Sports Illustrated Photoshoot
Sophie Cunningham would not actually do low-key moments. Whether it is her confidence, her character, or the rising fanbase she has constructed, the Indiana Fever guard at all times appears to discover a manner to get individuals speaking. And this time, she managed to do it with out even stepping onto the court docket.
The 29-year-old just lately featured in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit‘s newest version, the place she was photographed by Katherine Goguen at South Seas Resort on Captiva Island, Florida. Soon after the photographs dropped, Cunningham shared them on Instagram and captioned them with, “year 1 with @si_swimsuit 😮💨✨ AHHHH!” The put up immediately caught consideration throughout the sports activities world, with teammates, fellow athletes, and even a professional golfer shortly flooding the feedback part to present their love.
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World’s No. 1 Nelly Korda wrote, “Okkkkkk 🔥🔥,” whereas Caitlin Clark She quietly confirmed her assist by liking the put up shortly after it went reside. But they weren’t the one ones. Even Rookie Raven Johnson took to the feedback part and wrote, “I mean like 😍😍😍😍😍,” whereas Lexie Hull added, “Oh em geeeeeeee.”
The reactions solely highlighted how a lot Sophie Cunningham’s reputation has grown over the previous couple of years. What began as consideration round her on-court character has regularly was a a lot bigger presence off the hardwood as effectively, with the Fever guard changing into one of the vital recognizable faces in girls’s basketball tradition.
That’s additionally a part of why the SI Swimsuit function meant extra than simply one other viral social media second for her.
“It really was so fun,” Cunningham stated through YES Swimsuit. “You just feel so empowered, and something I really do love about it is like, they choose… different body sizes, shapes and sizes, different ethnicities, like they just empower all types of women, and it really was like frickin’ awesome. It was awesome.”
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And moments like this have gotten an more and more greater a part of her journey. At this level, his rise exterior basketball nearly feels as noticeable as his profession on the court docket. Cunningham has steadily constructed one of many strongest private manufacturers in girls’s basketball, the place she has landed endorsement offers with corporations like Adidas, Arby’s, and Quest Nutrition.
But let’s be trustworthy, she’s removed from being the one participant making that leap.
Over the previous couple of years, SI Swimsuit has more and more embraced WNBA stars, with gamers like Cameron BrinkSue Bird, Te’a Cooper, Nneka OgwumikeDiDi Richards, and Breanna Stewart all showing within the iconic journal.
It can be value noting that Cunningham’s second displays the bigger evolution occurring round girls athletes proper now, the place gamers are now not limiting themselves to simply their performances on the court docket.
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How Sophie Cunningham and Other WNBA Stars Are Building Brands Beyond Basketball
While previously, a participant’s contract used to be her solely supply of revenue, the trendy WNBA athlete isn’t limiting herself now. Across the league, gamers are more and more entering into possession, investments, enterprise ventures, and branding alternatives that may create long-term stability effectively after their basketball careers finish.
take Dearica Hambyfor instance.
The Los Angeles Sparks veteran just lately signed a three-year, $3.4 million extension with the franchise after placing collectively among the best seasons of his profession. But as an alternative of treating the brand new contract like a purpose to out of the blue change her life-style, Hamby revealed she’s approaching the cash with a much bigger vision in mind.
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“Obviously, more money, more problems,” Hamby joked. “I’m going to continue to live the way I’ve been living. I’m not going to overindulge because there’s more money on the table. But definitely gonna just be smart about my investments and build things for my daughter.”
That mindset is already translating into actual enterprise strikes away from basketball as a result of she additionally opened a smoothie store known as Mood Boost Bar that’s set to open in vegas later this summer season.
Even Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier has additionally turn out to be one of many faces of this new period. Alongside Breanna Stewart, Collier co-founded Unrivaled, the skilled 3×3 girls’s basketball league that created new incomes alternatives and gave WNBA gamers one other platform to develop their visibility within the United States.
Then there’s Angel Reesewhose reputation has expanded far past basketball since coming into the league. From main endorsement offers and equity-based partnerships to showing on the duvet of NBA 2K26, Reese has shortly turned his identify into one of the vital marketable manufacturers.
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And that is precisely why moments like Sophie Cunningham’s SI Swimsuit function matter. Players throughout the WNBA are now not ready for alternatives to come to them. They are creating them.
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