Sophie Cunningham and Josh Bartelstein (Photo Via Imagn Images)
Sophie Cunningham isn’t here for the drama but to play basketball. The Indiana Fever guard is pushing back hard against explosive claims made in a lawsuit filed earlier this month, denying any romantic involvement with Phoenix Suns and Mercury CEO Josh Bartelstein.

Court documents by ex-Suns and Mercury employee Gene Traylor mention Cunningham’s name. He linked her to an alleged affair with Bartelstein. This incident occurred during Cunningham’s time with the Phoenix Mercury. But Cunningham isn’t just brushing it off. She denied the accusations and said she had never even heard of the man behind them.

Cunningham Responds To Allegations

Sophie Cunningham (Grace Smith/IndyStar-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

WNBA star Sophie Cunningham wasted no time shutting down the rumors tied to Gene Traylor’s legal filing, making it clear she’s never met the man at the center of the allegations. Her statement, released Wednesday, emphasized not only her confusion but her unwavering commitment to the game.

“I am here to compete… and inspire other women,” Cunningham said, redirecting attention to her role as both an athlete and role model.

With the season in full swing, Cunningham made it clear she won’t be distracted by off-court noise — and fans are rallying behind her.

The allegations surfaced through Traylor’s legal filing. It also named Cornelius Craig, the VP of security and risk management, the rumor’s source. According to Traylor, Craig informed him of the supposed relationship, but Cunningham says the whole thing came out of nowhere.

On Wednesday, she issued a statement that made her position crystal clear.

“I am deeply saddened by the allegations and have no idea who Gene Traylor even is,” Cunningham said. “I am here to compete, play basketball at the highest level and win for my team and my fans, while inspiring other women that they can do or be anything they ever dream of becoming.”

Sophie’s Instagram story (Photo Via Instagram/@sophie_cham)

She didn’t hold back her frustration with how the media handled the story, either. Cunningham called out several outlets for publishing reports without giving her a chance to respond.

“To the media who reported on this, I have always spoken the truth and been transparent with any press inquiry,” she added. “In this instance it feels irresponsible that I was never asked for a comment about the accusation before several clickbait stories went to print.”

TMZ Sports noted that they reached out to her camp on Tuesday but didn’t receive a response before running their coverage.

Despite the noise, Cunningham made it clear she’s staying locked in on what matters to her most: basketball. “I will not let untrue gossip take my focus away from what is most important to me which is basketball, my supportive team and my fans.”

The Phoenix Suns and Mercury organizations also weighed in, calling the lawsuit’s claims “delusional and categorically false.” For now, Cunningham is letting her words, and her game speak for herself.

Fearne Cotton has broken her silence on split from husband Jesse Wood in her first TV interview since the breakup.

Joining Lorraine Kelly on Monday’s episode of the ITV show, the TV presenter, 43, also gave an health update after having two tumours removed from jaw.

Fearne announced her split from Jesse, the son of Rolling Stones bass guitarist Ronnie Wood, in December after 10 years of marriage.

She has since made swipes at Jesse and moved on with TV director Elliot Hegarty, with the pair having been seen kissing during a recent night out.

Fearne has had a difficult few months after undergoing surgery to remove two benign tumours from her jawline, just days before her split with Jesse emerged.

She told host Lorraine: ‘It’s all very amicable and kids are doing great. I am in a very good place.’place.’

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Fearne Cotton has broken her silence on split from husband Jesse Wood in her first TV interview since the breakup

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Fearne announced her split from Jesse, the son of Rolling Stones bass guitarist Ronnie Wood , in December after 10 years of marriage (both pictured in February 2024)

Discussing her recent surgery, she added: ‘I feel very grateful to have completely recovered.

‘I feel really good. I have a lot of people reaching out who have had the same thing.’

Davina McCall, 56, announced in November she’d been diagnosed with a colloid cyst, a rare type of benign brain tumour, and has supported Fearne.

She continued: ‘Everyone needs a Davina. She’s been amazing, weird that we had the same health thing going on at the same time. She’s so calming and we speak every day. She is just the best

It comes after Fearne has seemingly made another thinly-veiled dig at her ex-husband as she gushed that she is the happiest she’s ever been in a positive update.

Speaking to Scott Mills on his BBC Radio 2 breakfast show, Fearne gushed that she is ‘really happy’ and is ‘springing out of bed in the morning ready for life’.

Scott, who has known Fearne for 25 years, said he has never seen her ‘more positive or happier’, prompting Fearne to agree and reply: ‘Yeah I feel great!’

She told how her health scare has changed her outlook and said she has been seeking comfort from Davina.

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Joining Lorraine Kelly on Monday’s episode of the ITV show, the TV presenter, 43, also gave an health update after having two tumours removed from jaw

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It comes after Fearne has seemingly made another thinly-veiled dig at her ex-husband as she gushed that she is the happiest she’s ever been in a positive update

‘I’m really happy and I think when you’ve had a health thing like that it does just give you this baseline gratitude where you just feel, you know I have talked to Davina a hell of a lot as our operations were within a month of each other which so weird,’ she continued.

‘We’ve had so many brilliant chats about yeah just feeling very grateful for the basics and sort of springing out of bed in the morning ready for life so yeah I’m feeling good I’ve got lots of exciting stuff happening this year so I’m ready for it!’

Reflecting on her health scare, Fearne said she is ‘massively grateful’ because she didn’t think the lump was anything to worry about, before learning it was a tumour.

‘I went for an ultrasound and it ended up being a tumour, which was obviously a big surprise,’ she explained.

‘Now I feel absolutely great I’m really grateful and you know go and get those lumps and bumps checked out if you’ve got them it’s really really important.

‘I really thought this is going to be a non-event and it ended up being you know major surgery, but I’m healthy and feeling great and just massively grateful.’

Fearne had the benign tumour removed just days before her split from her husband Jesse – who she shares her son Rex and daughter Honey with – emerged.

‘It is with a heavy heart that I let you all know that Jesse and I are ending our marriage,’ the radio host said in an online post at the time, saying their priority would ‘always be’ their children.

Fearne is also stepmother to Jesse’s children Arthur, 21, and Lola, 18, from his first marriage to Tilly Wood.

Jesse, 48, has since moved on his former actress and model, Gemma Gregory, 39, who now works in the wellness business and hosts the Happy Place podcast.

Meanwhile, Fearne is said to have been secretly dating TV director Elliot Hegarty since January.

Their romance emerged when they were seen passionately kissing on a night out in Soho before they walked hand-in-hand while accompanied by friends.

The single mother, 51, was said to be ‘totally shocked and devastated because she only knew that Elliot and Fearne were friends’ and a friend told the Mail: ‘It was an awful way for her to find out and it has been quite ghastly for her.’

Fearne recently spoke about wanting to have a ‘burst of fun’ and ‘go and get p***ed’ following the end of her marriage.

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Fearne has since moved on with TV director Elliot Hegarty (pictured in September), with the pair having been seen kissing during a recent night out

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Fearne has also had a difficult few months after undergoing surgery to remove two benign tumours from her jawline, just days before her split with Jesse emerged

Speaking to Women’s Health UK, Fearne made a swipe at her ex-husband as she told how she has ‘missed out on having fun’.

She shared: ‘I’ve dedicated the past 12 years to being a mum and building Happy Place [the award-winning podcast and wellness festival Fearne launched in 2018] I still want to do all of that, but I’ve been missing out on just having fun.

‘Now I’m in my forties, I want more fun; to see mates, have lunches at my house and cook for everyone, go on little nights out and dinners and not care so much about getting back late.’

The couple had reportedly faced challenges for several years, with Fearne previously admitting that their marriage had been ‘suffering’ as far back as 2019.

Speaking at the time, Fearne said Jesse’s demanding schedule with his band Reef had put a strain on their relationship which left them desperately ‘clinging onto their marriage’ in an unearthed interview.

Fearne and Jesse tied the knot in July 2014 three years after they started dating. They met while partying in Ibiza the year after his split from his first wife Tilly.