Exclusive | Sophie Cunningham opens up on her ‘feisty’ fashion and why she’s not hating on this year’s WNBA rookie class

The Mercury posted a video of her walk-in at the time and called her a “hot new bombshell,” which was a reference to “Love Island,” a reality show on Netflix.

“[Paula] thought I looked really cute,” Cunningham said.

“It’s been really fun because now [my family] is on all the outfits. And trust me, my family is like, ‘Oh, gosh,’ what’s Sophie gonna wear today? It’s just like a running joke.”

Cunningham said it’s “actually hilarious” because her outfits aren’t always planned.

“For me, it really is just like a spur of the moment type thing. If I’m feeling being cozy and sporty, I go that route. If I feel like I want to be a little feisty and turn some heads and be a girly girl [I go that route],” she said.

Cunningham honored late Lakers legend Kobe Bryant when she wore a tunic dress with his photo on it before a win against the Dream on Sept. 3.

She also paid tribute to her teammate WNBA legend Diana Taurasi — in her 20th season — who could have played her final home game Thursday, when Phoenix beat Seattle to wrap up its regular season.

The Mercury have honored Tauarasi all season long with their “if this is it” campaign on social media.

Cunningham — a 6-foot-1 Adidas athlete — is indifferent to the negative banter online, including comments about her revealing too much.

“Hey, I’m not going to look like this often, or very long, so I might as well just use it while I can!” she said, laughing.

“[The women of the league] are starting to kind of pop off a little bit about what we’re wearing and people are turning heads and it’s drawn a lot of attention.”

Cunningham, a six-year WNBA veteran, is taking full advantage of the brighter spotlight on the league after this year’s rookie class — highlighted by star rookies Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Cameron Brink — helped increase viewership, revenue and attendance.

In 2024, the WNBA had its most-watched season in 26 years since its inception — and the league committed $50 million over the next two years to provide full-time charter flight service for its teams.

“To be honest, I think this is such a positive thing. It’s so good for our league,” Cunningham said of the heightened attention. “It’s such an exciting time to be a part of the W[NBA].

“I do think there are so many new eyes, and with that there’s a lot of people who might not know what they’re talking about. They have a lot to say … But to me, I’m not hating. I think this rookie class has pushed the W in the right direction so so much and I’m so thankful. Because then you get to work with brands like Quest, who are also really great people who want you to be successful and it’s opened up the doors to so much for me. Any press is good press for the W. And I think once people start watching it, they fall in love with it. The players have always been there [and] the skills has always been there.”

Cunningham, who has 242,000 Instagram followers and more than 130,000 followers on TikTok, posts fashion photos and basketball content, along with funny videos that feature her and her Mercury teammates.

“Social media, I don’t take it too seriously. For me, I just think that it’s a fun place to be,” she said. “It’s funny, yes. But it can be really negative and deep. I choose to live on the other side of it.

“I hope when people come to my platforms, I just want them to smile and feel a positive vibe. I want to be vulnerable and authentic and that’s what I’m about. For me, I’m like, ‘Yes! bring on all the new eyes.’

“Why would we not move forward, everyone move forward, and be grateful for the amount of attention we’ve been getting. I really do think this is the beginning. We’re at the tip of the iceberg and this thing is about to take off and I’m just excited to be a part of it.”

The Mercury announced signing Cunningham to a contract extension through the 2025 season on Sept. 14.

She’s been a solid 3-point shooter and defender for Phoenix since the Mercury selected her with the 13th overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft — which came after a standout career at the University of Missouri.

The No. 7 seed Phoenix Mercury lost, 102-95, to the No. 2 Minnesota Lynx on Sunday in Game 1 of their best-of-three series in the first round of the 2024 WNBA playoffs.

Cunningham had eight points and four rebounds.

“These teams at the top [of the standings], they’ve been together for two or three years. They have their chemistry, they have their rhythm [and] they know how each other moves,” Cunningham said.

“For us, we have so many new people. It’s me, Diana and BG [Brittney Griner] who are left from last year. We have a whole bunch of new faces. I think we’ve only played 33 games together. In the grand scheme of things, that’s not a lot.

“I think the biggest thing is we really do care for and love each other off the court and we’ve shown signs this season that when we’re really good, no one can beat us.”

Cunningham appeared in 36 regular-season games (17 starts) this season, averaging 8.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 steals.

She shot 40.0 percent or greater from deep in 21 games this season, second-most in the league. Cunningham ranks fourth in franchise history in 3-pointers made (245) and recently moved into ninth in points (1,368).

Game 2 is Wednesday night in Minnesota at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.