{
  "id": 4815002,
  "title": "Sophie Cunningham once revealed why WNBA should be ‘thankful’ to Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/sophie-cunningham-once-revealed-why-wnba-should-be-thankful-to-angel",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-01T07:26:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/sophie-cunningham-once-revealed-why-072602955.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham has praised the impact of young stars Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, and Cameron Brink on the WNBA's recent surge in popularity. Speaking on the Like a Farmer podcast, Cunningham revealed that these players, along with their college fan base, were instrumental in bringing a large audience to the WNBA. She emphasized that due to their social media influence during college, the four women were able to attract fans to the league. Cunningham's positive view of the younger players contrasts with some older WNBA veterans who have expressed jealousy or resentment. She encouraged the veterans to embrace the opportunity presented by the WNBA's increasing popularity and financial potential, and to capitalize on their star status. Notable among these young stars were Caitlin Clark from the University of Iowa, Angel Reese from LSU, Cameron Brink from Stanford, and Paige Bueckers from UConn. Each of these players had impressive college careers and garnered significant fan followings, which they then brought to the WNBA.",
  "summary": "Despite some grievances held by the older guard of the WNBA, Sophie Cunningham believes stars like Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers have been massive for the league. The WNBA’s explosion in popularity over the last few years has been thanks in large part to the arrival of stars like Reese, Bueckers, and Caitlin Clark.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "WNBA legend Lauren Jackson names her pick for 2026 MVP over Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/wnba-legend-lauren-jackson-names-her-pick-for-2026-mvp-over-caitlin",
        "published": "2026-08-28T07:45:31.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Times of India",
        "title": "Caitlin Clark vs Sophie Cunningham net worth 2026: Who is richer?",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/caitlin-clark-vs-sophie-cunningham-net-worth-2026-who-is-richer",
        "published": "2026-08-31T18:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}