Sophie Cunningham once revealed why WNBA should be ‘thankful’ to Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers

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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.

However, several stars in the WNBA had pushed back on the notion, feeling that their efforts over the years had been overlooked.

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Sophie Cunningham credits Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, and Cameron Brink for WNBA popularity

Speaking in February on the Like a Farmer podcast, Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham explained her stance on the rising popularity of the WNBA thanks to the recent influx of young stars.

Cunningham noted that Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, and Cameron Brink were standouts in college, and managed to bring the huge audience they developed to the WNBA.

“Like Angel Reese, Cameron Brink, Paige Bueckers, like they’re just in that generation that social media was a huge thing.

“And they brought the collegiate fans into the W. It’s a great time to be a part of it. Instead of being jealous, I think people should just be thankful and go make your money now.

“Go use it. Go take advantage of it. They’re young; they’re like 23-24 years old. They’re young cats.”

Despite what some might think, Cunningham was one of the few veterans who didn’t turn her nose up at the younger crop of WNBA superstars who helped bring new eyes to the sport.

Caitlin Clark was perhaps the biggest name to enter the WNBA in quite some time, following two stellar, record-breaking years at the University of Iowa.

Reese rose to prominence during LSU’s run to the 2023 NCAA National Championship, where she got the better of Clark and Iowa.

Cameron Brink was a standout at Stanford, while Bueckers represented the UConn Huskies during her time in college.

With how well they performed in college, all four stars earned a massive reputation and fan following, which they subsequently brought to the WNBA.

All four have become massive names in the WNBA alongside their more established stars like A’Ja Wilson, Sabrina Ionescu, and Napheesa Collier.

Unlike some of her contemporaries, Cunningham held no ill-will towards the young stars for the popularity they boasted, and saw it as an opportunity to capitalise on the WNBA becoming a more lucrative league following their arrival.

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