Mercury Refutes Allegations of Affair Between CEO and Sophie Cunningham
UPDATE: 5/21/25 at 2:27 p.m. ET — Sophie Cunningham has issued a statement refuting claims of an affair with Phoenix Suns and Mercury CEO Josh Bartelstein.
“I am incredibly disheartened by the recent false allegations made against me by Gene Traylor, an individual I do not know and have never encountered,” she stated via X. “To clarify, his statements are untrue and profoundly damaging.”
She further expressed: “My focus is on competing, performing at the highest level, and winning for my team and fans, while inspiring other women to pursue their dreams. I uphold the highest standards of integrity, guided by my values both on and off the court. To the media involved, I have always been forthright and transparent with any press inquiries. It feels irresponsible that I was not approached for a comment regarding these accusations before misleading headlines were published.”
Cunningham concluded with, “I refuse to allow false rumors to divert my focus from my top priorities: basketball, my supportive teammates, and my fans.”
Original story:
The Phoenix Suns have rejected allegations that team CEO Josh Bartelstein engaged in an affair with the Indiana Fever’s Sophie Cunningham.
The Suns and WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury share ownership, and Cunningham, 28, played for the Mercury from 2019 to 2024.
“The recent claims involving Josh Bartelstein and Sophie Cunningham are completely baseless and ethically unacceptable,” stated Suns spokesperson Stacey Mitch in a report published Tuesday, May 20, by Front Office Sports. “Let’s clarify the source of these allegations.”
The claims emerged from a lawsuit filed by Gene Traylor, the Suns’ former director of security, against the team, alleging racial discrimination and accusing the franchise of ignoring significant security issues. Traylor’s lawsuit alleged that the team’s vice president of security and risk management, Cornelius Craig, was appointed to terminate him.
To illustrate Craig’s alleged erratic conduct, Traylor claimed that Craig was heard saying, “Josh Bartelstein is f***ing Sophie Cunningham.”
Us Weekly has reached out to Cunningham for her input.
Mitch remarked that Sheree D. Wright, the attorney behind the lawsuit, is also representing plaintiffs in three other lawsuits against the Suns.
In a separate statement to ESPN on May 15, a Suns spokesperson described the allegations against the organization as “delusional and categorically false.”
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“The Supreme Court of Arizona has twice sanctioned attorney Sheree Wright for multiple violations of the professional conduct rules, and she is currently serving a two-year probation with the State Bar of Arizona,” the statement concluded.
Wright and Courtney Walters, the other attorney representing Traylor, retorted to the statement by accusing the Suns of launching “personal and defamatory attacks” against Wright in a “transparent and deliberate attempt to shift public perception, undermine the involved attorneys, and evade responsibility for their misconduct.”
Mitch told Front Office Sports that Wright is trying to “coerce” the organization into settling.
“Sheree Wright will not extort our organization and will not receive a single dollar,” she asserted.
Hope Solo and Jerramy Stevens have weathered many challenges during their relationship — including multiple arrests — yet they remain strong. The former Team USA goalkeeper and the retired NFL player first met while both were student athletes at the University of Washington. After reconnecting in fall 2012, the couple […]
The Mercury drafted Cunningham with the 13th overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft. A consistent performer for Phoenix over her six seasons with the team, she transitioned to Indiana in a four-team trade that sent All-Star Satou Sabally to the Mercury.
Now playing alongside Caitlin Clark, Cunningham told Us in March that she is dedicated to empowering women in the WNBA as the league continues to expand.
“For me, it’s not just about competition,” she remarked. “I aim to uplift other women. It’s about helping my teammates realize their potential while striving to be my best self. I believe that if we can grow together, great things will come.”
