Podcast Comments Highlight WNBA Selection Frustrations
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has addressed her omission from the 2026 WNBA All-Star Weekend’s 3-point contest, stating on her podcast that she would prefer winning the reality television show Dancing with the Stars over competing in the league event. Yardbarker reported that Cunningham made the remarks during a recent episode of her “No Hesitation” podcast alongside co-host Drew Hanlen.
During the episode, Hanlen noted that Cunningham had been omitted from the 3-point competition despite ranking among the top five players in 3-point shooting percentage for the season. Cunningham, who won the 2025 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup, asserted that the selection process involves external factors beyond on-court statistics.
Weighing League Politics Versus Reality Competition Control
Elaborating on her perspective regarding league events, Cunningham suggested that athletic performance alone does not guarantee selection. “I think, here’s my thing, I think the 3-point competition is just so clearly political,” Cunningham said on the podcast at the 4:00 mark. “They’re going to choose random people. So it doesn’t matter how good I do. I probably will never get chosen for that, which is eh.”
In contrast, the 30-year-old guard expressed that participating in a public voting-based entertainment program offers a different dynamic where her personal performance dictates the outcome. “But I think Dancing with the Stars, I have full control over that,” Cunningham added. “I know votes matter, whatever, but I have full control over my dancing. And so I think I’m going to go Dancing with the Stars.”
On-Court Contributions and Scheduling Hurdles
Cunningham finished the recent WNBA campaign as a reliable contributor off the bench for the Indiana Fever. Selected in the second round of the 2019 WNBA Draft, the 6-foot-1 guard averaged 7.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists across 43 appearances, while shooting 46% from the field and 41.9% from beyond the arc.
While she has maintained an active interest in joining the dance competition series, any potential appearance faces a significant logistical hurdle. The production schedule for Dancing with the Stars traditionally overlaps with the active WNBA season, creating scheduling conflicts that would require coordination with professional basketball commitments. Despite these hurdles, Cunningham has left the possibility open for a future off-court television appearance.