Sophie Cunningham keeps checking boxes. The Indiana Fever guard returned to the court last Saturday for the first time since tearing her right MCL last August. She’s also joining USA Network as a WNBA studio analyst for the 2026 season. And now, she’s hitting the newsstands with the 2026 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, with her debut feature.
The 29-year-old from Missouri opened up to SI about what the shoot meant to her, what her teammates are going to say, and why she walked off the set feeling different than when she walked on.
Sophie Cunningham on Her 2026 SI Swimsuit Issue Feature
Cunningham was photographed by Katherine Goguen at South Seas Resort on Captiva Island, Florida. Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier and track world champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden round out the athletes featured in this year’s issue.
All three were shot at the same resort. Cunningham announced her feature in a joint Instagram post with SI and shared behind-the-scenes footage with Collier and Jefferson-Wooden.
She knows the locker room reaction is coming first.
“Honestly, I don’t think anyone is gonna be fully surprised, I think the majority of them are gonna be like, ‘Where are your clothes?'” Cunningham told SI. “But they also know it’s me. I think everyone’s gonna be super stoked and I think just proud because this really is an iconic moment and an iconic shoot and brand to be a part of.”
The bigger story for her was about body image. Cunningham has talked openly in past interviews about what it’s like navigating life off the court at 6-foot-1.
“It’s not always easy being a 6’1″, broad-shouldered female,” she said. “It is my superpower out on the court, but in normal life, it’s hard to find pants, you’re taller than everyone, nothing fits right, and so there’s a lot of aggravations.”
Her answer to that is the same as her answer to most things. “Go kick a** out on the court, and then go kick a** out in the real world being a woman who is strong, who is powerful and who has a mindset that she can do anything.”
The shoot itself moved the needle for her. Cunningham called it “one of the most empowering things that I have ever done” and turned the moment back outward, toward young athletes who might feel the same way she once did.
“When you grow up as an athlete, you always feel like you’re bigger than everyone else, and you know you’re beautiful on the inside, you know you’re beautiful on the outside, but you have to convince yourself of that sometimes,” Cunningham said. “But after this photo shoot, it’s like ‘Wow, I wish every little girl and every little boy could just feel what that felt like.’ I feel so confident, I feel so beautiful, I feel so amazing in my own skin and what my body has to offer.”
Her shorter version of the same thought landed even harder. “It was so empowering and just so fun, but being able to check that off my list. That has been a huge bucket list goal, and now I just feel so good about myself.”
What’s Next for Sophie Cunningham On and Off the Floor
The SI feature lands in the middle of a stretch where Cunningham’s profile keeps climbing.
She was drafted 13th overall by the Phoenix Mercury in 2019, spent her first six WNBA seasons there, and was traded to Indiana in early 2025.
The MCL tear ended her 2025 season after 30 games. She averaged 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 25.2 minutes per game with the Fever, shooting 43.2% from three before going down.
She re-signed with Indiana this offseason on a one-year, $665,000 deal under the new collective bargaining agreement.
Saturday’s opener against Dallas was her first game back. Her stat line read: 3 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists, going 1-of-2 from the field, in a 107-104 loss to the Wings.
