Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham dropped a new podcast on Thursday, and she didn’t hold back one bit. With WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert set to retire at the end of the 2026 season, Cunningham went right for the jugular, detailing exactly what the next commissioner’s first order of business has to be. You just know this is going to be talked about around the league.
No More YMCAs: It’s Time for Real Facilities
Cunningham pulled absolutely no punches when she talked about the current state of WNBA facilities. “The first thing I would do is make sure every team has a functional practice facility,” she stated on her podcast. Can you believe it? She’s talking about teams in “the best league in the entire world” practicing at YMCAs! That’s just wild to hear. She called it like it is, too, saying, “The tides are turning, but I will say, there are a lot of owners who are still being very cheap and not giving us professional athletes what we need.” That’s a direct message to every owner and the incoming commissioner. It’s about time the players get the respect and resources they deserve.
New Leadership Needs to Be Player-First
It wasn’t just about the facilities, though. Cunningham laid out exactly what kind of character the next WNBA commissioner needs to have. She’s looking for someone with “great character that is willing to withstand it all and uphold your values and what’s best for the players.” She nailed it by adding it needs to be “someone who is in great communication with the players, because at the end of the day, we should be joining forces; we should be growing this league to the best of our abilities.” You gotta respect her for speaking her mind and truly advocating for the players.
Clark’s Growth and Fever’s Postseason Push
Beyond the commissioner talk, Cunningham also dished on teammate Caitlin Clark, and you can feel the excitement. She says Clark’s game has seriously evolved in her third season, especially when it comes to attacking the basket. “I really do feel like this year she is using her body so so well,” Cunningham noted. “And she’s using the glass, her jump shots are going in, and it’s efficient, and it’s good for us. But I do think that her body control this year has been huge.” That’s big for the Fever, who have had a tremendous season, looking like real contenders with a 26-14 record and sitting fifth in the WNBA standings. They’ve already locked up a playoff spot, and with Clark playing like that, their postseason run in the coming weeks is gonna be absolutely must-watch basketball!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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