The Fever’s Sophie Cunningham on the growth of the WNBA

Sophie Cunningham shares what it means to her to be a part of the growth of the WNBA.

If you’ve been talking about the WNBA recently, it’s no accident. The league has seen significant growth over the past few years thanks to improved facilities, an increase in games per season, and the WNBA looking to add more teams to the roster. The WNBA adds teams in Toronto (2026), Portland (2026), Cleveland (2028), Detroit (2029) and Philadelphia (2030). This year he added the Golden State Valkyries as an interest because women’s sports are on the rise.

In an exclusive conversation with Indiana FeverCunningham, the WNBA guard shared her first-hand experience watching the VNBA gain even more momentum. She recalled her early days in the league when she was the 13th overall pick in the 2019 VNBA Draft by the Phoenix Mercury.

“It was really cool, to be honest. You know, I was here in my rookie season, and we sold out the home crowd, but not so much everywhere else. I was lucky to play in front of a lot of fans. I was teammates with Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner and so many big names around our league,” Clunchem told a league exclusive from our “Cruiser Partnership” last month. “Now, you know, you have Caitlin, who is a generational player put in the V map around the world and so just the level of investment and the people who are so interested, not just women, it’s young guys, men, girls, everybody like almost everybody. Everyone’s invested in V now and so it’s been really fun to see in a way that they’re supporting us and the way people are supporting us.”

As the WNBA continues to gain more attention, Cunningham also shared the importance of taking time off to relax. The fever keeper suffered a season-ending injury back in August and uses downtime as a way to connect with a brand that matches her general vibe.

Sun Cruiser is a hard tea made with real iced tea and real vodka. The company offers flavors such as Classic Iced Tea, Peach Iced Tea, Raspberry Iced Tea, Lemonade + Iced Tea, Lemonade, Pink Lemonade, and Strawberry Lemonade.

“This partnership is about embracing time to relax,” said Erica Taylor, Senior Brand Director for Sun Cruiser. “Sophie is known for her fierce competitiveness on the court and her unfiltered fun-loving personality off the court, making her the perfect partner to champion the art of relaxation. We’re excited to sponsor her offseason and show that the best athletes know how to balance hard work with good times.”