Syndication: The Indianapolis Star, Sophie Cunningham
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Former Phoenix Mercury star Sophie Cunningham is being accused of having an affair with Phoenix Suns and Mercury CEO Josh Bartelstein in a new bombshell lawsuit.
WNBA: Los Angeles Sparks at Phoenix Mercury, Josh Bartelstein
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Gene Traylor, a Suns employee and former director of safety, security and risk management, filed a suit against the NBA franchise alleging racial discrimination and harassment, unlawful retaliation and security issues. It also details a conversation about Cunningham.
“Plaintiff also shared with Bartelstein that Craig had been spreading damaging information that could jeopardize the organization,” the lawsuit, which was filed on May 20 against Suns Legacy Partners, LLC, reads.
“When Bartelstein asked Plaintiff to reveal what Craig was saying, Plaintiff explained that Craig had been telling others, ‘Josh Bartelstein is f–king Sophie Cunningham.’”
Suns senior vice president of communications Stacey Mitch denied the claims in a statement to the New York Post.
“The recent reports concerning Josh Bartelstein and Sophie Cunningham are entirely false and morally reprehensible,” Mitch said.
“Let’s be absolutely clear about the origin of these claims,” Mitch’s statement continued. “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have been dismissed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Arizona Civil Rights Division or voluntarily withdrawn.
“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.”
WNBA: Preseason-Brazil National Team, Sophie Cunningham at Indiana Fever
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The Mercury selected Cunningham in the second round in the 2019 draft, and she played in Phoenix from 2019 until this past February, when the 28-year-old was traded to the Indiana Fever.
Bartelstein, 35, has been married for over two years, and joined the Suns and Mercury as the franchises’ CEO in April 2023. He’d previously spent eight years working in the Detroit Pistons organization.