Over the course of the past few months, Sophie Cunningham has emerged as one of the WNBA’s biggest personalities.
Could the Indiana Fever guard parlay her status as Caitlin Clark’s enforcer and sizable social media following into a career in pro wrestling? The idea might not be as crazy as it seems.
Speaking at Comic Con in San Diego on Friday, Women Of Wrestling co-founder and owner Dave McLane weighed in on such a possibility. And suffice it to say, when it comes to the prospect of Cunningham stepping into the squared circle, the Indianapolis native sees no shortage of potential.
“I’m from Indiana. I’m from Indianapolis, and that’s the home of not only the second-best basketball team in the country this last year, but the biggest name in professional basketball today, Caitlin Clark. And Caitlin Clark has an enforcer. She’s the Marty McSorley to Wayne Gretzky, and she is a stunning athlete,” McLane, who previously founded the all-women’s promotion Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (GLOW) said of Cunningham, per The Daily Mirror.
“I flew to Las Vegas and watched them in action against the Aces, and I would love to have Sophia Cunningham in WOW, because she takes down the competition, and she makes sure that Caitlin Clark is safe on the basketball floor. We’d love to have Sophie in WOW.”
But just in case Cunningham didn’t get the memo, McLane’s message was then amplified by WOW’s other co-owner: Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss.
“We would love to have @SophieCunning5 join us at @wowsuperheroes she is talented, dedicated and a fierce competitor!!” Buss wrote on X, reposting The Daily Mirror‘s story, before later correcting the post to include Cunningham’s correct social media handle.
Obviously, the idea of Sophie Cunningham joining the world of pro wrestling is an intriguing one and could add a new wrinkle to how WNBA stars fill their offseason calendars. Although WOW isn’t as high profile as WWE or AEW — both of which have enjoyed their own basketball crossovers — the all-women’s promotion does possess plenty of history, as well as media rights deals with Pluto TV and Paramount+.
With the Fever currently in the middle of their season, Sophie Cunningham is already booked through the fall. The offseason, however, could help make such a possibility a reality — especially considering the current uncertainty surrounding the WNBA’s labor negotiations.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.