The Phoenix Suns and their sister WNBA franchise, the Phoenix Mercury, are facing a firestorm of controversy after a bombshell lawsuit accused CEO Josh Bartelstein of having an improper relationship with former Mercury player Sophie Cunningham.
The accusation, embedded within a broader legal case involving racial discrimination and workplace misconduct, has sent shockwaves through the NBA and WNBA communities.
The allegation was made by Gene Traylor, the Suns’ former director of safety, security, and risk management, who filed a federal lawsuit in May 2025. Traylor claimed that Bartelstein was the subject of damaging internal rumors, specifically one spread by Cornelius Craig, the organization’s VP of security.
According to the court filing, Craig allegedly told employees that “Josh Bartelstein is f**king Sophie Cunningham.” Traylor says he reported this to Bartelstein directly, citing it as a major reputational risk for the organization.
Neither Bartelstein nor Cunningham has publicly responded to the accusations. However, if proven true, the implications are serious, particularly because Bartelstein oversees both the Suns and Mercury, making any intimate involvement with a player under his organizational purview a potential conflict of interest.
Cunningham, 28, played for the Mercury from 2019 to 2024 before being traded to the Indiana Fever this past February. She had recently signed a contract extension through 2025 and was widely considered a fan favorite in Phoenix.
In a prior statement, she had praised Suns owner Mat Ishbia’s leadership and called Phoenix her “home away from home.” Her sudden departure is now under renewed scrutiny.
Bartelstein, a former Michigan basketball player and the son of longtime NBA agent Mark Bartelstein, was hired as CEO in 2023 following Ishbia’s $4 billion acquisition of the Suns and Mercury.
Married since 2022, Bartelstein publicly lauded his wife, Sydney in interviews as the backbone of his demanding executive role, adding yet another layer of personal and professional complexity to the scandal.
This lawsuit is just the latest in a growing list of legal troubles for the Suns franchise. Traylor’s suit joins three other federal lawsuits filed against the team since November 2024, all alleging a toxic workplace environment, racial discrimination, retaliatory demotions, and security negligence.
Traylor, who is Black, also alleged that he was marginalized for raising security concerns, including vulnerabilities that were later confirmed by Phoenix Police during undercover testing, some involving the smuggling of weapons into the arena.
The organization has fiercely denied all accusations. The Suns’ senior VP of communications called the lawsuits “delusional and categorically false” and accused Traylor’s attorney, Sheree Wright, of attempting to extort the franchise.
They highlighted Wright’s probationary status with the State Bar of Arizona as evidence of her supposed lack of credibility, a counterattack Wright called a deflection from the franchise’s systemic failings.
The lawsuit adds to growing skepticism over Ishbia’s promised “new era” of professionalism, especially following the Robert Sarver scandal that led to the team’s sale. What was supposed to be a clean slate under new ownership is now being stained by scandal, legal turmoil, and allegations of misconduct at the highest levels.
