Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham is proving she can command attention just as easily on a beach as she does on the basketball court. The WNBA sharpshooter recently made her debut in the 2026 edition of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, and the photos are nothing short of scorching.
Cunningham, who averaged 8.6 points per game for the Fever last season, traded her sneakers for sandals during a shoot at the South Seas Resort on Captiva Island, Florida. Photographer Katherine Goguen captured the guard in a series of sizzling shots that highlight both her athletic build and her radiant confidence.
“It really was so fun,” Cunningham told SI Swimsuit. “You just feel so empowered, and something I really do love about it is like, they choose … different body sizes, shapes and sizes, different ethnicities, like they just like empower all types of women and it really was like frickin’ awesome. It was awesome.”
The guard took to Instagram on Tuesday night to share a carousel of photos from the shoot, captioning it: “year 1 with @si_swimsuit 😮💨✨ AHHHH!” Fans flooded the comments with praise, calling her “unreal” and noting that now they “see why people watch the WNBA.”
Cunningham joins a growing list of WNBA stars who have posed for the iconic magazine. Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink became part of the SI Swimsuit family in 2025, and previously, legends like Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart, and Nneka Ogwumike have all graced its pages. Brink spoke about the empowering nature of the experience, saying, “I think it’s always really hard to be a woman in this world, but especially a female athlete … My femininity—I hold that very close to my self-image.”
This isn't the first time Cunningham has turned heads off the court. Earlier this year, she went viral for rocking a cowgirl outfit that showed off her country side, further endearing her to fans who love her down-to-earth, playful personality.
The SI Swimsuit issue has long been a platform for athletes to showcase their versatility and redefine what it means to be a strong, confident woman. With Cunningham’s inclusion, the magazine continues its tradition of celebrating diverse body types and backgrounds. As she put it, the whole experience was simply “frickin’ awesome.”
For fans of the Fever and WNBA, seeing Cunningham in this light is just another reminder that these athletes are multidimensional stars who shine both on and off the hardwood. Whether she’s draining threes or striking a pose, Sophie Cunningham knows how to make a statement.
