Sophie Cunningham gets candid about “Plan B” over WNBA’s low pay on Sundae Conversation

Sophie Cunningham has never shied away from calling out WNBA’s pay structure. Despite experiencing the most explosive era of its existence, the WNBA’s financial reality for many of its veterans remains a point of sharp contention. As the league celebrates record-breaking viewership and skyrocketing ticket sales, the disconnect between cultural impact and player compensation has reached a boiling point.

Amidst high-stakes Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations, players are increasingly vocal about the league not paying them enough, and that is very well seen when comparing NBA’s highest $59.6 million for 2025-26 with WNBA’s highesthest $249 thousand for 2025. Cunningham, during her recent appearance on “Sundae Conversations,” sparked a viral conversation about the league's pay scale while hinting at a "Plan B" option to secure her future beyond the hardwood.

Sophie Cunningham spills the tea on podcast

In the Sundae Conversations episode released on December 21, Caleb Pressley interviewed Sophie Cunningham, and the latter didn't hold back when discussing the league contract structure.

When asked, “You do get paid?” Cunningham replied, “You know, barely. But we’re still surviving.” She gave a hearty laugh when asked if there’s a “Plan B” if WNBA sc**ws over and clarified it is “Not plan B but project B.” Project B is a new global basketball league that will commence in 2026. According to co-founder Grady Burnett, Project B represents “the best basketball in the world.”

The interview turned in an interesting direction when the host, Caleb, asked, “Do you think you even need the league or could you just make money from a different platform?” Cunningham, emphasizing the leagues’ existence, replied, “No, I think you do need the leagues because that’s what gives you the platform to have all these fans.” She also added, “Maybe plan B should support that platform.

Sophie Cunningham’s future outlook

The shift toward "Project B" highlights a growing trend of WNBA athletes seeking equity and massive cash infusions that the traditional league structure currently lacks. For 2025, the average WNBA salary is around $102,000. This forces the players to turn towards entrepreneurial options. For someone with the brand power of Sophie Cunningham, who was the only WNBA star on Google’s trend list for 2025, this means looking at every available avenue. Various other platforms, which several athletes have used to exert total control over their likeness and revenue, remain a potential option.

For the 2026 season, the new CBA rules might push the average salary over $500K but these alternative ventures aren't just about extra cash, but a step toward securing a future beyond the underwhelming cheques.

Also read: Sophie Cunningham spills beans on Caitlin Clark snubbing “Project B” invite, raising questions about WNBA

Get an chance to win ₹5000 Amazon Voucher by taking part in India's Biggest Habit Index! Take the survey here