Sophie Cunningham says she spoke to Adam Silver about next WNBA commissioner

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has discussed the soon-to-be vacant WNBA commissioner’s job with Adam Silver after the NBA commissioner reached out to her.

“I have talked to Adam Silver a couple times, and I think he’s a great guy,” Cunningham said on Monday. “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. Our league is booming, so why would we not [want] someone who’s going to make it even more booming?”

Cathy Engelbert recently announced she would retire from her post as WNBA commissioner at the end of the year. Silver has a long history of speaking with players about various league topics, though the NBA declined to specifically address what Silver and Cunningham discussed.

Cunningham, however, was more outspoken about what she wants to see in the WNBA’s next leader, though she didn’t share names of any candidates she might have in mind.

Cunningham has emerged as a polarizing player this season because of her position against transgender athletes competing in women’s and girls sports. She has not backed down from her opinion despite backlash from many fans.

But Cunningham believes the league needs a unifier.

“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 also wants someone committed to helping the league continue to grow. The WNBA has seen interest in the league soar in recent years, even amid criticism of how Englelbert has handled some off-court issues. On the flip side, Engelbert’s accomplishments include signing a new, richer television contract, a new collective bargaining agreement and adding charter flights for teams.

Regardless of the fans or the critics, Cunningham insists 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.”

Indiana are waiting for All-Stars Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston and coach Stephanie White to rejoin the team. The trio were part of the United States’ gold-medal winning World Cup team in Berlin. The Fever resume play on Friday at Toronto.