WNBA star Sophie Cunninghamis on a quest to watch more women's basketball thisMarch Madness.
Cunningham, who made theNCAA Tournamentduring each season she spent with the Missouri Tigers from 2015 to 2019, said her schedule usually makes it very tough to keep up with specific players and teams this time of year.
Still, the former SEC Freshman of the Year tries to watch when she can, especially because three of the last four national champions have been an SEC team: South Carolina won in 2022 and 2024, and LSU won in 2023.
"Every conference is tough, right? When you're in it, it's always a battle, but I truly do believe ― playing different conferences, being in the SEC ― that it is afreaking fight every single night. I do believe it's the most competitive, most athletic conference in the country, and, of course, I'm 100% biased," Cunningham told USA TODAY while promoting apartnership with Quest Nutrition, which includes hosting a show, The Grand Try, featuring the USA Rugby women's and men's national teams.
"It's really cool to be proud of where you come from, and I truly am, not only at the University of Missouri, but also coming from the SEC. It's really cool to see all of our athletes and teams dominate tournaments in every sport."
UConn Huskies forward Sarah Strong (21) named Big East Player Of The Year as they celebrate their Big East Championship win over the Villanova Wildcats at Mohegan Sun Arena on Mar 9, 2026." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Sarah Strong, UConn look for perfection and another championship
UConn Huskies forwardSarah Strong(21) named Big East Player Of The Year as they celebrate their Big East Championship win over the Villanova Wildcats at Mohegan Sun Arena on Mar 9, 2026.
To Cunningham's credit, eight teams from the SEC made the latestUSA TODAY Sports coaches pollahead of March Madness, and 10 teams from the conference got an invite to the Big Dance, which opens on Wednesday, March 18 with the First Four and moves into the first and second rounds on Friday, March 20. Those kinds of numbers on college basketball's highest stage are music to Cunningham's ears. "I want to see an SEC team back on top. Always," she said.
Though the veteran guard's Tigers did not make the NCAA Tournament under head coach Kellie Harper, Cunningham says she's excited to see the program return to the success it found when she was playing. Until then, she's keeping an eye on programs like "sleeper team" Ole Miss and also South Carolina, which just won its fifth straight SEC regular season title and is seeking another women's championship as well, the fourth since 2017. Cunningham believes the Gamecocks could win it all again this year.
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"Dawn Staley's such a phenomenal coach, and she's smart," Cunningham said. "She puts her athletes in positions to be successful. I think once you've been there and you've tasted it, you know what it takes."
Still, Cunningham warns parity in women's college basketball is growing, and a lot of teams out there are "grinding" to try to reach the success Staley and South Carolina have garnered. The WNBA standout shared with USA TODAY that she believes this year'sFinal Four in Phoenixwill be "one for the books." Cunningham plans to attend the semifinal and championship games at Mortgage Matchup Center, noting women's college basketball is, in her opinion, at an all-time high.
"The talent and the execution and the craft has always been there, but I think the media attention is finally following along. I think that you do kinda have to credit ... the class, I feel like, of Angel Reese, of Cameron Brink, of Caitlin (Clark)," Cunningham said.
"That's when the college, I feel like, viewership really went up because of them. Then they went to the WNBA. That's when we had a huge spike. Business is great. And now people are like, 'Oh! You have phenomenal athletes there.' They go back and watch college basketball, and they find their new person, and then follow them to the W. So, I truly do think it's a beautiful trend."
Cunningham says when she played social media was around, but hadn't exploded yet. She says the positive outcome of social media's growth is it helps to cultivate fans, and people can see college and WNBA players for who they are, including off the court. The Fever guard says it helps people fall in love with the players as they continue to be "a bunch of bad asses on the court."
"I am super excited for women's sports. I will always talk very highly about everyone because I think everyone has a part in history," Cunningham said.
"(At) UConn, you know, you haveAzzi Fudd, who is drawing so much attention ...Sarah Strong, I believe, too, with UConn ... For me to know people's names, that's saying something, because I don't know anyone's names. I'm starting to become a fan of my sport, too. It's been really cool to see these athletes just be able to thrive, kinda like how the men always have."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:WNBA's Sophie Cunningham talks women's March Madness, SEC dominance