Sophie Cunningham may not know yet where she will be playing in the 2026 WNBA season, but she already has a new role lined up. USA Network has added Cunningham to its coverage team for 2026, giving the Fever guard a seat in the studio throughout a season the network will carry 50 regular-season games, plus playoff and Finals games under the league’s new media deal.
USA Network said Cunningham will contribute to studio coverage here and there during the 2026 season, with the network’s weekly doubleheaders airing on Wednesdays. The broadcast move fits a path Cunningham has been open about for months. She told Sports Illustrated last month that she loves sports, loves talking to people and learning their stories, and is drawn to the “why” behind what happens on the floor.
She also said then that when she is asked to commentate on basketball, she knows the game, has the IQ for it and enjoys breaking down elite players and the schemes they face. “Maybe there’s going to be a career there when I’m done playing basketball that that’s what I’ll get right into,” she said, adding, “I’m excited for that.” Cunningham is not expected to retire before the 2026 season, so the broadcasting work appears to be a step toward a second career rather than an exit from the one she still has left.
That next act is being built while her playing future remains unresolved. Cunningham was traded to the Fever last offseason after spending the first six seasons of her career with the Mercury, and she seemed to click well with Indiana players including Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell. The uncertainty over where she will land for 2026 gives the new TV role an added layer: it is both a showcase and a reminder that one of the league’s more familiar voices may soon spend more time explaining the game than playing it.
For USA Network, the addition gives its WNBA package a recognizable personality as it prepares for a bigger league footprint in 2026. For Cunningham, it is a public audition for life after basketball, and she already sounds ready for it.
