Sophie Cunningham’s name appears in bombshell lawsuit against Suns and CEO Josh Bartelstein

Sophie Cunningham is getting started with the latest chapter of her career with the Indiana Fever. However, her past stint with another WNBA team has come roaring back by way of a fierce legal battle.

Cunningham was mentioned in a May 13 lawsuit filed by Gene Traylor, who once served as the Phoenix Suns' director of safety, security and risk management. Traylor is suing the Phoenix Suns organization for neglecting to take serious action to quell potential security risks. Among other noteworthy details recounted by the lawsuit, an anecdote that allegedly evoked the name of Cunningham — who played for the Phoenix Mercury from 2019 to 2024 — caught netizens' attention.

In this passage from the lawsuit, Traylor is allegedly asked by Suns CEO Josh Bartelstein to open up about something that Suns executive Dan Craig reportedly said.

"When Bartelstein asked Plaintiff [Traylor] to reveal what Craig was saying, Plaintiff explained that Craig had been telling others, 'Josh Bartelstein is f***ing Sophie Cunningham," the lawsuit supposedly read.

To date, no other documents corroborate the anecdote mentioning Cunningham in the lawsuit. No public comment regarding this lawsuit has been made by either Bartelstein or Cunningham thus far.

The claim filed by Traylor is one of four federal lawsuits brought against the Suns organization since Nov. 2024. The other lawsuits bring forward allegations of racial discrimination, workplace mismanagement and sexual harassment during the time of Suns owner Mat Ishbia, who bought the franchise back in 2022.

Video of Sophie Cunningham conversing with prominent businessman goes viral

While the claims regarding Cunningham and Bartelstein have not been proven thus far, there is clear evidence of an interaction between the Fever guard and a prominent businessman and social media personality.

Cunningham herself retweeted the viral video clip of what appeared to be a pre-game conversation between her and Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports:

The words exchanged between Cunningham and Portnoy are inaudible in the video, so fans are left to speculate as to what exactly they're conversing about.

Notably, Portnoy is sporting a Caitlin Clark jersey in this courtside interaction, which appears to have taken place before the Indiana Fever's home opener against the Chicago Sky. Portnoy certainly came dressed for the occasion, as the Fever defeated the Sky 93-58 in front of a lively crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.