Bella Twins challenge Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham to tag-team showdown at WrestleMania
Nikki and Brie Garcia just dialed up the crossover hype. The Hall of Fame duo — globally known as the Bella Twins — called out Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham for a tag-team match, turning a red carpet soundbite into a full-on pop-culture talking point. With women’s basketball at the center of the sports conversation and pro wrestling forever hungry for spectacle, the proposal instantly set imaginations racing.
The callout that lit the fuse
During a red carpet interview this week, the Garcias were asked which WNBA standouts could thrive under the bright lights of the ring. The answer was immediate: Clark and Cunningham. “Sophie and Caitlin versus the Bellas. Book it, WrestleMania!” Nikki declared, with Brie backing the idea and teasing genuine interest in making the matchup happen. Even as an off-the-cuff challenge, the quote had the cadence of a promo — short, sharp and designed to pop a crowd.
Why Sophie Cunningham fits the ring
Sophie Cunningham’s name keeps surfacing in wrestling conversations for a reason. She brings a made-for-television edge — relentless energy, expressive reactions, and a protector’s mentality that has become part of her on-court identity. At last summer’s San Diego Comic-Con, a prominent women’s wrestling executive publicly framed Cunningham as a natural in the squared circle, even likening her role to a classic enforcer: the “Marty McSorley to Wayne Gretzky.” Cunningham herself has leaned into the idea; on her Show Me Something podcast in December, she spoke about a lifelong love of pro wrestling and didn’t shy from the notion of stepping through the ropes someday.
Clark’s crossover gravity
Caitlin Clark’s cultural pull would turbocharge any crossover. Her highlights drive appointment viewing, her presence fills arenas, and her name recognition stretches far beyond basketball. A top champion in sports entertainment openly praised Clark’s game last year as “Jordanesque,” calling out how she has changed the conversation around women’s hoops. Pairing that star power with Cunningham’s enforcer vibe gives the prospective team a ready-made identity — the charismatic sharpshooter and the physical bodyguard — a pairing that echoes classic archetypes in pro wrestling.
Reality check: schedules, health and the WNBA grind
The timing is the rub. WrestleMania lands in April, right when preseason preparations and ramp-up for the WNBA season intensify. Clark and Cunningham both navigated injuries last year, and any extracurricular appearance would need to fit within strict health and workload guardrails. Professional wrestlers are trained performers who rehearse sequences and protect each other at speed; even cameo spots require careful planning. A one-night surprise — think a face-off, a brief run-in, or a protected tag — would be the most realistic entry point if talks ever advanced. The smarter long play: revisit the idea in an offseason window that prioritizes health and minimizes conflict with team commitments.
What a Bellas vs. Clark & Cunningham match could deliver
On paper, the dynamics pop. The Garcias bring veteran savvy, twin-synergy timing, and legacy crowd connection. Across the ring, Clark would be the ultra-confident scorer with swagger to spare, while Cunningham plays disruptor, talking trash, setting tone, and soaking up the heat. Promos almost write themselves: the Bellas challenging two rising sports icons to prove they can command a different kind of stage; Clark answering with cutting one-liners; Cunningham promising shoulders and elbows for anyone who tries her teammate. In-ring, a short, high-energy tag layout would showcase character beats over complex sequences — a few signature poses, a protected flurry from Clark, a momentum-shifting hot tag to Cunningham, and a crafty veteran counter from the Bellas to swing the finish. Whether the athletes ultimately win or lose would matter less than the moment itself: a headline-grabbing crossover that amplifies both women’s basketball and sports entertainment in one go.
The bigger picture: women’s sports meets sports entertainment
Even as a fantasy booking, the callout speaks to a fertile space where women’s sports and spectacle can elevate each other. Basketball delivers real stakes and week-to-week narratives; the ring offers theater and a global spotlight. If this pairing ever materializes — now or down the road — it would be less a novelty than the latest step in a broader cultural convergence. For Sophie Cunningham, in particular, the reception to this idea underscores a growing lane: athlete, enforcer, entertainer. And for fans, the message is simple — keep those boots warmed and those sneakers laced. The crossover era isn’t coming; it’s already here.
