Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham fueled dating speculation after photos of her posing with a college athletic trainer on a boat at Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks circulated on social media.
The images, which appeared to be taken during a celebration for Cunningham's 30th birthday on September 7, show the WNBA player alongside Frank Adams, the head athletic trainer for Grand Canyon University's men's basketball program. A fan account on X called "Fever Updates" published the photos on September 11 with the caption, "Sophie Cunningham revealed her new boyfriend."
Neither Cunningham nor Adams has publicly confirmed or denied a relationship. The photos drew attention in part because of the pair's overlapping ties to Phoenix professional sports, a connection that predates the boat outing by months.
Cunningham spent six seasons with the Phoenix Mercury, playing for the WNBA franchise from 2019 through 2024. Adams, meanwhile, served six years as an assistant athletic trainer with the Phoenix Suns, the NBA team that shares ownership with the Mercury under Mat Ishbia. Adams left the Suns organization and joined Grand Canyon University's sports medicine staff in 2025.
The two were spotted together earlier this year at Grand Canyon University basketball games, according to photos that surfaced online. That prior public appearance adds context to the birthday photos but stops well short of confirming any romantic involvement.
Cunningham's own Instagram post from the same period showed her wearing the same bikini seen in the boat photos, alongside a birthday cake, matching the Lake of the Ozarks setting described by the fan account.
With the WNBA on pause for the FIBA World Cup, Cunningham used the downtime to celebrate her birthday and take in live sports. She attended the NASCAR Cup Series Enjoy Illinois 300 at WWT Raceway on Sunday.
The U.S. women's basketball team, meanwhile, defeated France 97, 79 in the FIBA World Cup final that same day, rallying from a 14-point deficit to claim a fifth consecutive title. Cunningham does not appear to have been part of the U.S. roster.
Cunningham has built a profile well beyond the basketball court. She is a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model and has drawn conservative praise for voicing support for barring transgender athletes from girls' and women's sports, a stance that put her at odds with much of the professional sports establishment but aligned her with a growing majority of the American public.
Adams, for his part, has kept a far lower profile. His career path, from six years on the Suns' training staff to a head role at a Division I university program, suggests steady professional advancement, but he has not spoken publicly about the photos or the attention they generated.
The couple, if that is what they are, has let the speculation run without comment. In an era when athletes routinely manage their public images down to the last Instagram story, the silence is itself a choice, and one that has only sharpened the curiosity.
Cunningham turns 30, plays in a league that keeps growing, and refuses to duck from controversy when it matters. Whatever her relationship status, she is not asking anyone's permission.
