The 2026 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue was announced on Tuesday, and this year’s edition features two WNBA stars and an Olympic gold medalist as well as three returning athletes.
This year’s athlete models are Lynx superstar Napheesa Collier, Fever guard Sophie Cunningham and Team USA gold medalist Melissa Jefferson-Wooden. All three were photographed by Katherine Goguen on Captiva Island, Fla.
Napheesa Collier, Lynx forward
Collier is building one of the greatest résumés in WNBA history. She came into the league as the sixth pick in the 2019 draft and was named an All-Star and Rookie of the Year in her first season. Now entering the 2026 campaign, Collier has made three straight All-WNBA first teams and two straight All-Defensive first teams, and she was crowned the Defensive Player of the Year in ’24. She also has won championships and an MVP in various European leagues.
Collier cofounded the Unrivaled league with former college teammate Breanna Stewart. Collier was the MVP of the league's inaugural season and won the one-on-one tournament. She also serves as the vice president of the WNBA players’ union and was a prominent voice as it fought for a new CBA.
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Olympic sprinter
Jefferson-Wooden took the bronze in the 100-meter race at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She also captured gold in the 4x100-meter relay. At the 2025 world championships in Tokyo, she swept the 100-meter and 200-meter events and also took gold in the 4x100-meter relay for a third time.
Jefferson-Wooden described the opportunity to be in the SI Swimsuit Issue as a "pipe dream."
“I never really thought that it would happen, so for it to actually happen is crazy," Jefferson-Wooden told SI. “Not to mention it’s for Sports Illustrated. There’s not a lot of people in the world who on their first photo shoot can say it was for Sports Illustrated and for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. So I’m grateful. I really am.”
Sophie Cunningham, Fever guard
Like Collier, Cunningham was also drafted in 2019 but had a much different path to becoming one of the most well-known names in the WNBA. She spent the first six years of her career with the Mercury but didn't break out as a star until she joined the Fever and became Caitlin Clark's biggest supporter and enforcer. Her TikTok blew up after she stood up for Clark early in the 2025 season, and then she started making headlines with takes on her podcast.
Now she's living her dreams in the SI Swimsuit Issue. “It was so empowering and just so fun but being able to check that off my list," Cunningham told SI after her shoot. "That has been a huge bucket list goal and now I just feel so good about myself.”
After joining Clark on the golf course during the offseason, Cunningham signed a media deal with USA Network and also re-signed with the Fever. In 2026 she should continue to make an impact both on and off the court.
Other Athletes
Livvy Dunne, Ilona Maher and Ali Truwit have also returned this year.
Watch the red carpet livestream on SITV and YouTube on Thursday, May 14.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Sophie Cunningham, Napheesa Collier Headline the Athletes Featured in 2026 SI Swimsuit Issue.
