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Sophie Cunningham's Lead Over Angel Reese Emerges During WNBA Finals
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- Sophie Cunningham's Lead Over Angel Reese Emerges During WNBA Finals
Angel Reese has been a major contributor to the Atlanta Dream's run to the 2026 WNBA Finals. During the regular season, she averaged 16.4 points, 12.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals, leading the league in rebounds while finishing third in steals.
The Dream forward has further elevated her play in the postseason, putting up 17.0 points, 10.6 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.7 blocks per game.
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Considering Reese's incredible performance and success on the court, as well as her popularity off it — she's the most-followed WNBA player on Instagram with 5.3 million followers — it's safe to assume that her marketability is incredibly high.
However, a recent report by SportsPro ranked Indiana Fever Sophie Cunningham ahead of Reese on its list of the 50 most marketable athletes of 2026 .
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) looks on during a game.Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
According to SportsPro, the athletes were ranked based on marketability scores, which were derived from three factors: "the equity an athlete has built, the momentum behind it and the room they still have to grow."
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Cunningham was ranked 28th on the list with a marketability score of 65.34 out of 100, while Reese received a score of 64.28.
The Fever guard has grown in popularity since joining the Fever in 2025, especially as she established herself as the team's enforcer and Caitlin Clark's protector.
Cunningham has even surpassed Clark as the second-most followed WNBA player on Instagram with 4.3 million followers. She has also landed partnerships with brands such as European Wax Center, Arby's, Marriott Bonvoy and Quest Nutrition, along with her deal with Adidas.
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Reese still had a higher brand equity score (31.52) than Cunningham (24.76), which isn't surprising because the Dream star has secured several major brand partnerships, including deals with Barbie, Victoria's Secret, Reese's and Reebok.
However, Cunningham had a higher momentum score (34.85) than Reese (18.49).
Reese can take solace in the fact that she had a greater commercial trajectory (14.27) than Cunningham (5.73), which suggests she has plenty of room to grow in terms of marketability.
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Furthermore, it's not hard to see Reese growing even more popular and marketable in the months to come, especially once the WNBA Finals is over.
As for Cunningham, it will certainly be interesting to see how her off-court career develops, especially as her popularity grows.
More WNBA Essentials
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Net Worths: Caitlin Clark | Angel Reese | Sophie Cunningham
Related: Aliyah Boston Sends Clear Message to Indiana Fever Teammate Caitlin Clark
This story was originally published by Athlon on Oct 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
