Sophie Cunningham’s Adidas PE Points to Fever Star’s Immense Popularity
The Indiana Fever were the quiet winners of the massive four-team trade that sent Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas to the Phoenix Mercury last year. They moved on from NaLyssa Smith, who was not a great fit next to Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston, and replaced her with Sophie Cunningham.
Cunningham brought defensive intensity, floor spacing, and positional versatility to a Fever team that could use all three. Unfortunately, a torn MCL cut her first season with the Fever short, but her value has been on full display this season. Cunningham is the Fever’s leading bench scorer, averaging 9.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. She has also been one of their most effective 3-point shooters, knocking down 40% of her four attempts per game.
Joining the Fever hasn’t just led to on-court success for Cunningham. She quickly endeared herself to the Fever’s many new fans, and her rising popularity resulted in a podcast deal last summer, among other endorsement deals. Now, Adidas is looking to cash in on her popularity as well with a player-exclusive colorway. The Crazy Energy Sophie Cunningham PE will be released on July 24 for $120.
FIRST LOOK: Fever star Sophie Cunningham is releasing her first sneaker—a PE colorway of the adidas Crazy Energy 🫵
— Sole Retriever (@SoleRetriever) July 10, 2026
🗓️ July 24th
📝 HP5223
💵 $120 pic.twitter.com/aX4Fk9mnPN
If anyone still needed proof of how immensely popular Cunningham is, this is it. It’s not often that a player who is not a superstar, or at least an All-Star, on the court is deemed successful enough to sell a PE.
Adidas has a stacked WNBA roster
Nike may have snatched up A’ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark, two of the brightest stars in women’s sports, but Adidas also has a stacked group of WNBA players representing the brand. Nneka Ogwumike and Chelsea Gray joined Adidas in 2017. Cunningham’s Fever teammate Aliyah Boston is also signed to Adidas. Moreover, Kelsey Plum recently switched over from Under Armour, and Satou Sabally inked a deal with Adidas in 2025.
Rookie phenom Olivia Miles is also officially an Adidas athlete and would be a prime candidate for a signature shoe and apparel line, given her early success and rapid rise to WNBA superstardom. The fact that she is in the same city and wears the same number as Anthony Edwards, one of Adidas’ biggest NBA athletes, would also create fun marketing opportunities.
No WNBA player has had a signature shoe with Adidas since Candace Parker, and there has never been a better time for the brand to get back into the game. Nike’s success with Sabrina Ionescu’s and A’ja Wilson’s signature shoes has proven that there is a lot of interest in WNBA players’ sneakers. The Sabrina 1 quickly took over the NBA upon release, and the A’One sold out in minutes when the first colorways were released.
Besides Miles, Boston, who is a four-time All-Star now, and Sabally, who brings the connection to Germany, are also great candidates for a signature shoe with Adidas.
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Elaine Blum covers women’s basketball for On SI from Europe. She has been writing about women's hoops since 2023 and holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism and a master’s degree in American Studies with a focus on women’s and gender studies. She started playing basketball when she was 10 years old and won several league and state championships at the youth and senior level.