For five seasons, Sophie Cunningham shared a locker room with Brittney Griner on the Phoenix Mercury. That front-row seat has given her a perspective that clashes with the public narrative surrounding the 10-time All-Star.
Appearing on a recent podcast, Cunningham didn't hold back when defending her former teammate. "Brittney Griner gets the worst rap," she said. "She is the coolest person you will ever meet, swear to God. She's down to earth, she's country, just chill. She's the best."
Cunningham's praise didn't stop there. She emphasized that Griner's off-court persona is far more relaxed and approachable than the intimidating image that often precedes her. According to Cunningham, the WNBA veteran is simply misunderstood by fans who only see her on game nights.
The only criticism Cunningham offered wasn't aimed at Griner herself, but at the security detail that sometimes travels with her. Recalling a chaotic airport encounter, Cunningham described getting accidentally elbowed in the face by a security guard who was carrying Griner's designer luggage.
"There was one guy who was kind of our security. He was carrying her Louis Vuitton bags, and when he ran to push people away, he threw the bags, and it came back and cracked me right in the nose," Cunningham recounted. "I was like, 'Damn, I was trying to help, but I just get cracked by a $5,000 bag right in my schnoz.' Black eye the next day. It was great."
Despite the occasional mishap, Cunningham's bond with Griner appears unshakeable. Their friendship has even surprised outsiders. Activist Riley Gaines, who attended a game between their teams in September, noted the warmth between the two players despite their differing political views.
"I think most people would have thought that Sophie and Brittney Griner wouldn't like each other," Gaines said. "Kind of cool because I watched Brittney Griner and Sophie Cunningham like really embrace each other and have kind of like an intimate moment where clearly words were exchanged."
That moment of mutual respect stands in contrast to the friction that sometimes surfaces between players with opposing beliefs. Cunningham has faced her own share of online backlash, including sharp criticism from Caitlin Clark's ex-teammate, but she remains unfazed when it comes to her friendship with Griner.
For fans who project their own assumptions onto these athletes, Cunningham's words serve as a reminder that reality is often more complicated—and more human—than the headlines suggest. As she put it, Griner is simply "the coolest person you will ever meet."
In a league where rivalries and controversies often dominate the conversation, Cunningham's heartfelt defense is a refreshing take on a player whose reputation, she insists, is far from accurate.
