Sophie Cunningham Found Empowerment on the SI Swimsuit Set

Sophie Cunningham knows what she wants. The Indiana Fever guard is one of the best three-point shooters in the WNBA and, in addition to suiting up for the squad this year after a season-ending injury in 2025, the 29-year-old Missouri native will make her broadcasting debut in 2026 as a studio analyst with the USA Network.

After being selected as the 13th overall pick by the Phoenix Mercury during the 2019 WNBA draft, Cunningham was traded to the Fever in Februrary 2025. Unfortunately, she sustained a right MCL tear during a game against the Connecticut Sun last August, and ever since, has been rehabilitating her body to gear up for the start of the 2026 WNBA season. In the Fever’s first game of the regular season on Saturday, May 9, Cunningham recorded 3 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists, marking her return to the court for the first time since her season-ending injury last summer.

Posing for the 2026 SI Swimsuit Issue marks another first for Cunningham. The University of Missouri graduate was photographed by Katherine Goguen at South Seas Resort on Captiva Island, Fla., for the 2026 magazine. And while fans are used to seeing Cunningham take the court in a Fever jersey, she thinks her teammates in particular are going to get a kick out of seeing her in this year’s issue.

Sophie Cunningham was photographed by Katherine Goguen at South Seas Resort on Captiva Island, Fla. Swimsuit by Haus of Pinklemonaid. | Katherine Goguen/Sports Illustrated

“Honestly, I don’t think anyone is gonna be fully surprised, I think the majority of them are gonna be like, ‘Where are your clothes?’” Cunningham quipped while on set in the Sunshine State. “But they also know it’s me. I think everyone’s gonna be super stoked and I think just proud because this really is an iconic moment and an iconic shoot and brand to be a part of.”

View Sophie Cunningham’s 2026 SI Swimsuit Issue gallery here.

Inspiring other athletes to live authentically

With strong role models in her mother and aunts all throughout her life, it’s no surprise that Cunningham is just as poised off the court as she is on it. However, she admits that she sometimes experiences moments of self-doubt as a result of her athletic build.

“It’s not always easy being a 6'1", broad shouldered female,” she says. “It is my superpower out on the court, but in normal life it’s hard to find pants, you’re taller than everyone, nothing fits right and so there’s a lot of aggravations.”

Sophie Cunningham was photographed by Katherine Goguen at South Seas Resort on Captiva Island, Fla. Swimsuit by Cin Cin. | Katherine Goguen/Sports Illustrated

However, Cunningham, who averaged a 43.2% 3-point field goal percentage during the 2025 regular season, brushes off those infrequent moments of self-consciousness with ease. Her mantra? “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.”

That self-assured attitude is one Cunningham brought to set, which is evident through each and every photograph Goguen captured of her along the shoreline on Captiva Island. Posing for the magazine was a dream come true for Cunningham, and she calls the experience “one of the most empowering things that I have ever done.” In seeing her images in the 2026 SI Swimsuit Issue, she hopes to inspire young athletes to be confident in their own skin.

“When you grow up as an athlete, you always feel like you’re bigger than everyone else, and you know you’re beautiful on the inside, you know you’re beautiful on the outside, but you have to convince yourself of that sometimes,” Cunningham explained. “But after [this] photo shoot, it’s like ‘Wow, I wish every little girl and every little boy could just feel what that felt like.’ I feel so confident, I feel so beautiful, I feel so amazing in my own skin and what my body has to offer and ... I just felt so good just to be myself. When people see these photos, I hope they’re blown away, but I really hope that like, in some way, people can find something that will give them that feeling that I had while doing this shoot.”

As the 2026 WNBA regular season gets going (the Fever’s next game is on the road against the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday, May 13), Cunningham is thriving and looking ahead to the future—and the Show Me Something podcast cohost is excited for what’s next.

“I really don’t know where life is going to take me, I feel like I have another like eight to 10 years in the league, which is absolutely amazing,” Cunningham shares. “ ... [I’d also love to explore] some type of speaking engagement, but who knows? I’d also love to be on a yacht and tan for the rest of my life, so we’ll see.”