USA Sports exec explains appeal of Sophie Cunningham: ‘She says what’s on her mind’

Sophie Cunningham will be on your TV screen a lot more this WNBA season, and USA Sports is counting on her to say exactly what’s on her mind.

The Indiana Fever guard joined the network as a contributor in April, and in a piece published Tuesday by USA Today, USA Sports executive producer Jeff Behnke explained why the network pursued one of the league’s most outspoken players.

“She says what’s on her mind, and she is also really passionate about the game of basketball,” Behnke told Danielle Lerner. “I think any time you can get that in the moment, on the field, on the racetrack, on the court, information and personality weaved into a broadcast, it’s a great thing.”

Cunningham has spent the better part of two years building that reputation. She launched Show Me Something on Colin Cowherd’s The Volume, which has nearly 50,000 YouTube subscribers and has already made headlines multiple times over. She’s been fined twice by the WNBA for referee criticism, called out league leadership at her exit interview last fall, and has become one of the most recognizable personalities in the league, all while still suiting up for one of its most-watched teams.

This isn’t her first time in front of a camera in a media capacity, either. Cunningham served as a guest analyst on Phoenix Suns pre- and postgame shows in 2022. She’ll appear on USA’s WNBA doubleheader nights for pregame, halftime, and postgame hits when her Fever schedule allows, including when she’s on the road, according to USA Today. Cunningham said the added workload doesn’t feel like a stretch because she’s already living inside the league every day, whether the cameras are on or not.

“We’re making TikToks and Instagrams and doing that type of thing anyway,” Cunningham said. “When it comes to basketball, we’re watching film 24/7. We’re watching the games or playing different teams, so you’re already doing it, but now I’m just getting paid to talk about it.”

Beyond her studio appearances, USA also reportedly hired a veteran producer to help Cunningham develop features for air and digital platforms, whether it be player interviews, fun storylines, or personal profiles that pull back the curtain on who these women are away from the court. That’s clearly what excites her most about this opportunity. Cunningham has always seemed genuinely bothered by the idea that casual fans don’t know WNBA players as fully-formed human beings, and this gives her a platform to do something about it.

“Everyone knows us as who we are when we’re playing, and sometimes that’s a really good thing, sometimes that’s a really bad thing,” she said. “But I want the audience to get to know people on a more personal level. Who are these women outside of the court? What do they like to do? What are their interests? Because I do think the W is so cool because you have a lot of smart women who are passionate about a lot of different things. There’s so much diversity, so it’s how can we highlight that? How can we inspire the next generation?”

Cunningham joins a USA Sports WNBA operation that has assembled an impressive roster since the network renegotiated its deal with the league to air at least 50 games per season, including Wednesday-night doubleheaders. Elle Duncan anchors the studio coverage alongside Renee Montgomery and Hall of Famer Chamique Holdsclaw, with Sarah Kustok as the lead game analyst, Tamika Catchings in the rotation, and Kate Scott and Meghan McPeak splitting play-by-play duties.

Given everything Cunningham’s done to build a media profile while still playing, it feels like a matter of when, not if, this becomes her full-time job.