Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has spoken with National Basketball Association commissioner Adam Silver about the WNBA's soon-to-be-vacant commissioner job, after Silver reached out to her for her thoughts on the search.
"I have talked to Adam Silver a couple times, and I think he's a great guy," Cunningham said Monday after a Fever practice during the WNBA's break for the FIBA Women's World Cup. "He was very knowledgeable and full of wisdom and so getting to talk to him and hear his perspective of how he approaches the NBA is huge, who he's kind of looking for. I think if you want to know the real answers, you go to him."
"But I think he's going to put someone in place who really wants to take our league to another level than it's already at," Cunningham added. "Our league is booming, so why would we not (want) someone who's going to make it even more booming?"
Current WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert recently announced she would retire at the end of the year. Silver, who has run the NBA since 2014, has a long history of speaking with players about various topics in the NBA and the WNBA, though the NBA declined to specifically address what he and Cunningham discussed.
What Cunningham wants in a new commissioner
Cunningham was more outspoken about the traits and characteristics she wants to see in the WNBA's next leader, though she did not name any possible candidates.
"I think the WNBA has always been a place for people to feel safe and comfortable. I think there's all types of walks in this organization, or in this league, which I think is absolutely awesome," Cunningham said. "But I do think with that you need someone who's going to unite everybody because it can be so different. But that doesn't mean it's a bad thing. I think it makes it a lot of fun."
She said she also wants someone committed to helping the league continue to grow.
A polarizing season for Cunningham
Cunningham has emerged as a polarizing player this season because of her position on transgender athletes competing in women's and girls' sports. She has not backed down from her stance despite a backlash that has included fans confronting her over it at games.
Even so, Cunningham said the league needs a unifier at the top.
Engelbert's tenure and the league's growth
The WNBA has seen ticket and merchandise sales, television ratings and overall interest in the league soar since the Fever drafted Caitlin Clark, the WNBA's 2024 Rookie of the Year, with the No. 1 pick that year. That growth has come even amid controversies ranging from whether the hard fouls Clark has taken this season are excessive to questions about Engelbert's leadership.
Engelbert, who has led the WNBA since 2019, oversaw the signing of a richer television contract, a new collective bargaining agreement and the addition of charter flights for teams during her tenure.
Cunningham said it may be time for the league to discuss whether playing games on back-to-back nights makes for a better product on the court, or whether those games could be eliminated with shorter in-season breaks, though she noted that scheduling is part of the reason players now earn higher salaries.
A commissioner who is 'players' first'
Cunningham said the biggest quality she is looking for is someone who values the players.
"I really do think that you need a commissioner who is players' first, who wants a relationship with their players," Cunningham said. "I think that's so important. That doesn't mean we're always going to get along, and we're always going to agree. Like they have a job, they work for the owners, and so they're going to have to make hard decisions."
"But if you have that open line of communication and that respect level, I think that it just feels different. I think that is a very important piece for our new commissioner."
Regardless of the fans or the critics, Cunningham said she wants the WNBA to continue its overall mission.
"You continue to have a growth mindset and see other people's walks of life and really get to know why they are the way they are, and I think that's truly fun," she said. "Like you are playing the best basketball, you're in the best league in the entire world and you're getting to learn so much about who you are as a human, how other people are as a human. But with all that, with all the diversity you do need someone who's going to unite our league and have a common goal and get us all on the same page. I think that's super important."
Fever awaiting return of Clark and Boston
Indiana is waiting for All-Stars Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston and coach Stephanie White to rejoin the team. The trio was part of the United States' gold-medal-winning team at the FIBA Women's World Cup in Berlin. The Fever resume play Friday at Toronto.
