WNBA team exec accused of having affair with Sophie Cunningham

The Phoenix Suns and Mercury fired back at an accusation in a recent lawsuit that claimed the franchises’ CEO Josh Bartelstein was having an affair with WNBA player Sophie Cunningham.

The accusation surfaced in a lawsuit from former employee Gene Traylor against Suns Legacy Partners, LLC. The lawsuit was publicized last week, but one detail came to light during the week.

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Phoenix Mercury and Phoenix Suns Chief Executive Officer Josh Bartelstein looks on during the first half of the game between the Phoenix Mercury and the Seattle Storm at Footprint Center. (Joe Camporeale/Imagn Images)

Traylor said in the lawsuit he met with Josh Bartelstein, who is married, and told him that Cornelius Craig, the teams’ vice president of security of security and risk management, had been going around telling people that Bartelstein was having an affair with Cunningham.

“When Bartelstein asked Plaintiff to reveal what Craig was saying, Plaintiff explained that Craig had been telling others, ‘Josh Bartelstein is f—–g Sophie Cunningham,’” the lawsuit filed in Arizona District Court read. “Additionally, Plaintiff requested that Bartelstein speak with the security team about Craig’s behavior.”

The Suns responded in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“The recent reports concerning Josh Bartelstein and Sophie Cunningham are entirely false and morally reprehensible. Let’s be absolutely clear about the origin of these claims,” Suns senior vice president of communications Stacey Mitch said.

A general view of the Phoenix Suns logo on the court before a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Footprint Center.  (Brett Davis-Imagn Images)

“Attorney Sheree Wright, a personal injury and immigration lawyer, currently serving a two year probation with the Arizona State Bar for violating the rules of professional conduct, sees an opportunity because of the reports about previous ownership. Ms. Wright has now filed four separate lawsuits against the organization, seeking over $140 million dollars in compensation. To date, her cases have been dismissed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Arizona Civil Rights Division or voluntarily withdrawn.

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“She continues to insert salacious lies and fabrications into her complaints—knowing that the media may report them as fact, as happened yesterday—she hopes to coerce the Phoenix Suns into settling. Sheree Wright will not extort our organization and never see a single dollar. 

“We will pursue all available legal avenues and hold those accountable for participating in the spread of misleading and false narratives.”

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham poses for a photo Wednesday, April 30, 2025, during the Indiana Fever media day at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (Grace Smith/IndyStar/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

Wright is one of the attorneys representing Traylor in the case.

She responded to the Suns’ statement later Tuesday.

“The Phoenix Suns’ statement is not only defamatory, it is an act of open retaliation against protected legal advocacy,” Wright told Fox News Digital. “I stand firmly behind the allegations brought in our federal complaint, which are based on documented evidence, corroborated witness accounts, and facts that the Suns would prefer remain buried. The claim involving Sophie Cunningham is not fabricated—it was corroborated long before the complaint was filed, and the organization is well aware of this.

The Suns’ latest statement falsely accuses me of filing lawsuits to extort the organization and attacks my professional record in an effort to deflect from the egregious conduct alleged by multiple former employees. I will not be intimidated by public relations spin or personal smear tactics. I am not the only attorney involved in these lawsuits.”

Wright called the Suns’ alleged attempt to dismiss her resume as a lawyer “disgraceful.”

“Before becoming an attorney, I served as an investigator at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for over seven years. I know how to identify patterns of workplace discrimination and retaliation, and I bring that experience to every case I litigate. It is disgraceful that the organization and its representatives are trying to discredit my legal and investigative background rather than address the substance of the claims brought under federal civil rights laws.

“As for the bar reference: I am a licensed attorney in good standing. The two-year probation they cite has no bearing on the merits of this case and is being weaponized in a desperate attempt to silence and discredit a Black woman standing up to corporate misconduct. That speaks volumes about their priorities.”

She made clear she would not be “bullied” or “silenced.”

“My clients deserve to be heard. If the Suns believe the facts are on their side, they are free to produce their executives and employees under oath in a court of law. We welcome that process and are prepared for it.”

Traylor, the team’s former director of safety, security and risk management, filed a lawsuit against Suns Legacy Partners, LLC, accusing the company of discrimination, harassment and retaliation. He also alleged that the team retaliated against him after he reported weapons breaches.

The Suns called the allegations Taylor made against the franchise “delusional and categorically false.”

“Guest safety is our top priority,” a Suns spokeswoman told ESPN last week. “We continue to meet and exceed safety expectations. We regularly conduct security tests, which is standard across the industry. We have used these proactive measures to ensure we are operating at the highest level of safety and preparedness.”

Fox News Digital reached out to a Cunningham rep for comment.

She was traded to the Fever from the Mercury in the offseason. She signed an extension with the Mercury before being traded and called Phoenix her “home away from home.”

Sophie Cunningham speaks to members of the media at Player 15 HQ in Phoenix on Sept. 26, 2024. (Diannie Chavez/The Republic/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

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Cunningham sat out of Saturday’s game against the Chicago Sky with an ankle injury.

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