WNBA star Sophie Cunningham has joined other famous figures like “Dancing with the Stars” alum and Olympic medal-winning athlete Ilona Maher and former “The Real Housewives of New York City” star Bethenny Frankel as a model for the 2026 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue.
Sophie Looks Stunning in a Chic White Bikini
“[W]e are pleased to share that WNBA superstar Sophie Cunningham has joined the SI Swimsuit roster for the 2026 magazine,” Sports Illustrated reported on Wednesday, April 8. “The 29-year-old free agent was photographed by Katherine Goguen at South Seas Resort on Captiva Island, Fla., and will appear in this year’s SI Swimsuit Issue, which hits newsstands next month.”
Cunningham and Sports Illustrated both shared a glimpse at the athlete’s contribution to the issue in an Instagram post which showed her in a chic white bikini while posing on a beach.
Fans were certainly thrilled with Cunningham’s inclusion in the annual issue, with one person taking to the IG comments to write, “Smoke show!!!! 🔥”
Someone else left a comment, saying, “The number one woman I wanted in SI this year!!! 🔥🔥”
Pro basketball player Chloe Bibby wrote, “Gurllll I just dropped [my] phone🔥😍”
Former gymnast Olivia Dunne added, “That’s right!🔥”
Fellow WNBA player Aerial Powers left a message, writing, “😍😍😍😍 sophieeeeeee!!!!”
Sophie Also Shared a Video of Her Sports Illustrated Photoshoot
Along with the first image of Cunningham in the 2026 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue, both the basketball star and magazine shared a video of her photoshoot.
Sports Illustrated noted that “[i]n the footage captured on set, Cunningham spoke out about how liberated she felt posing for the issue and her knack for adopting a winner’s mindset, whether she’s on the court or off.”
“This is probably one of the most empowering things that I have done ever,” she said. “I truly do think, like, 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.”
Speaking of doing anything, Cunningham also announced a major move on the same day that her Sports Illustrated photo and video were released. The magazine explained, “Ahead of the 2026 WNBA season, which tips off later this month with preseason play, Cunningham just made yet another huge career announcement: She will join USA Sports as an athlete contributor on the USA Network throughout the WNBA season.”
