How three former Phoenix Mercury coaches built a WNBA dynasty
Phoenix Mercury head coaches Paul Westhead, Corey Gaines and Sandy Brondello each won a WNBA championship while building a dynasty in the desert.
The tunnel became the WNBA catwalk and Phoenix Mercury winger Sophie Cunningham took the opportunity to host a fashion show.
A fan favorite since being signed by the Mercury in 2019, Cunningham has also garnered attention for her style off the field. In 2023, Cunningham designed a limited-edition Mercury T-shirt for Valley Threads, a player-designed apparel collection. Natasha Cloud designed this year’s collaboration.
Cunningham, sometimes referred to as “Barbie” by the Mercury’s X account, has varied her style this season from elevated casual wear like an Arizona Coyotes hat to cut-out dresses and heels.
Cunningham’s recent appearance before Monday’s game against the New York Liberty even caused a stir online, as she wore a sheer dress that showed off her tan lines. To further accentuate the look, the Mercury’s X-account used a Love Island-inspired caption for her arrival: “This week a hot new bombshell enters the villa.”
What does a “hot new bombshell” mean?
Given the reaction the post garnered, the headline made sense in the context of the trend.
The “hot new bombshell” line began in 2021 when British pop star Mabel announced she would be appearing on “Love Island UK” and has uploaded a video promoting her performance.
The video contained the line and quickly took off when an unofficial Love Island The TikTok account used the sound. The sound subsequently became popular and was used in some contexts to announce a surprise.
In the case of the Mercury, Cunningham’s performance caused a stir online, garnering 3.8 million views. However, there were mixed reactions to the performance.
Are you interested in joining the villa? Casting for “Love Island USA” 2025 is now underway – here’s how you can apply
What is Love Island USA?
Love Island USA, which airs on Peacock and CBS, follows islanders who team up to take part in games and challenges during their stay in the villa. Temptations and drama separate couples as bombshells drop and relationships are tested. Contestants can pair up with someone new and be eliminated by viewer votes.
At the end, the winning couple will receive a cash prize of $100,000 or $50,000 each.
