After Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem, within a year, he had a book deal and a Nike ad campaign. Publishers understood something that hasn’t changed since: an athlete at the center of a genuine culture war is a guaranteed audience, and guaranteed audiences get book deals. Nearly a decade later, Sophie Cunningham is reportedly about to test that same theory.

Page Six Hollywood’s Ian Mohr broke the news exclusively:

“Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham is shopping a book, publishing sources exclusively tell Page Six Hollywood,” Mohr reported. “The 6-foot-1 guard — who has 3.7 million followers on Instagram — could find herself at the center of a bidding war, we hear, with the timely tome.”

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who has followed Cunningham beyond the basketball court. A 3-and-D player known for her physicality on the court, she has also built a profile as a popular podcast host on “Show Me Something” and one of the league’s more outspoken personalities.

Get the Essentially W Newsletter. Everyday front-court analysis and back-court drama — where the W takes center court.

She has been fined multiple times by the WNBA for her on-air commentary, including three separate fines related to comments about officiating. Her willingness to publicly criticize the league, including a viral moment when her sister Lindsey called out the WNBA’s officiating standards on her behalf, has only added to her growing media profile.

According to reports from outlets such as The Spun and BlackSportsOnline, Cunningham could be looking at a seven-figure payday if the book deal comes together. And there are plenty of signs that her brand has the pull to command that kind of attention.

She currently has two of the five best-selling WNBA jerseys, while her first Adidas player-exclusive basketball shoe flew off the shelves, selling out in most men’s and women’s sizes just hours after its July 24 release.

Given the noise surrounding Cunningham and the Fever of late, a book would likely hit big if it hits bookshelves soon.

The controversy began in July, when Cunningham voiced support in an ESPN profile for barring transgender girls and women from women’s sports. “I want to protect young girls in a locker room,” she told ESPN. “Or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”

The comments triggered protests outside Fever road games. Protesters held signs reading “Protect trans women” alongside supporters carrying signs reading “Thank you Sophie,” and the fallout led to the WNBA suspending a Seattle Storm co-owner over a courtside demonstration connected to the controversy.

Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve wore a shirt reading “Trans kids belong” on the sideline during a nationally covered matchup against Cunningham’s Fever.

Sophie Cunningham wasn’t ready to talk about it, saying. “I’m going to let people just do the speaking for themselves, but for me, I want to get back to basketball. It’s always been about basketball. That interview happened in March.”

She also pushed back: “I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I’m like, ‘I never once said that.’ I think that I am here to extend love.” In a follow-up interview on USA Network, she reiterated her stance: “I have a clear and strong perspective on this. With that being said, I know that people are not always going to align and agree. I totally understand that. I just hate that the basketball of it all is getting overshadowed.”

Cunningham’s comments led to more controversy. Former NBA player Enes Kanter said: “After careful consideration and reviewing the current eligibility guidelines, I’m officially declaring myself a WNBA prospect. If simply declaring who you are is all that’s required, then I meet every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA.”

Royce White also announced that he’s declaring for the 2027 draft: “Right now I’m just having a blast in my feminine era,” White said live on TV. “I never thought that I was a woman. … but after further review and a strong look at my personal preferences, it would appear that I am indeed sometimes identifying as a transgender woman.”

The WNBA’s 2026 collective bargaining agreement states that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.” However, according to Fox News’ review of the document, it is not specific for transgender or intersex athletes.

Commissioner Cathy Engelbert addressed it, writing, “I know many of you have received questions in recent weeks regarding transgender athlete participation in women’s basketball, and I expect this topic will continue to receive significant attention.”

While the Fever have struggled to stay out of the spotlight in recent weeks, Cunningham herself seems to have been affected by everything happening around her, and that is starting to show in her performances as well.

Sophie Cunningham’s Recent Form Raises Concerns

Despite all the controversy surrounding her, Cunningham has consistently maintained that she wants to focus on basketball. But getting back to basketball hasn’t exactly been easy.

In her latest outing against the Chicago Sky, which had its own on-court controversy with DiJonai Carrington getting ejected for a foul on Cunningham, the Fever guard managed just three points on 1-of-3 shooting in 17 minutes.

She finished the Sky game with a game-worst -28, which, according to analyst Richard Cohen on X, is the worst single-game plus-minus in a win in WNBA history. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, Cunningham has managed just eight points across her last three games.

August hasn’t been a kind month to Sophie, as she is currently averaging just 2.7 points per game on 28.5% shooting from the field in 23 minutes. Clearly, the boos she hears in every game are getting to her and affecting her confidence. The Fever will hope Cunningham can rediscover her rhythm soon, with the playoffs fast approaching.

Perhaps the book deal is more than just another business opportunity for Cunningham. With everything happening around her, this could be her chance to finally take control of the narrative and tell her story in her own words.