ST. PAUL, Minn. — For years, Luke Kunin watched as his girlfriend, then fiancée, then wife, Sophia, supported his career.

She was a shoulder to lean on when things got tough in Minnesota. Moved to Nashville when he was traded there. Was a constant during the toughest season of his pro career — last year with the San Jose Sharks, when he tore his ACL.

So Kunin can’t wait to walk into Xcel Energy Center — the arena where he began his NHL career as a Minnesota Wild rookie seven years ago — on Saturday with the shoe on the other foot. The 1 p.m. CDT game will be his first time watching Sophia play at the highest level in person, as she’ll take the ice with Minnesota’s Professional Women’s Hockey League team to face Boston in its regular-season home finale ahead of next month’s playoffs.

“I’ll get to see what it’s all about,” Luke said. “I’ve watched her games on the internet all year — as much as I can with our schedule — but I think of all the things she’s sacrificed for me over the years so I can live out my dream. I can’t wait to be there to support her and watch her live her dream.”

Luke and Sophia Kunin’s relationship has helped them come through so much to arrive at this point. Meeting as teenagers. Watching each other excel in hockey. Becoming college sweethearts. And Luke being Sophia’s “rock every step of the way” after the most traumatic event of her life, the death of her younger brother, Drake, at the start of her sophomore year.

Luke, 26, is a hard-nosed, hard-working forward for the Sharks who hails from suburban St. Louis. Sophia, 27, who grew up in Wayzata, Minn., and is now one of PWHL Minnesota’s fastest, most reliable forwards, was known as Sophia Shaver until the Kunins were married last summer in the Twin Cities.

They are the only husband and wife professional hockey players in their respective top leagues in North America.

For now.

“I think the more our league’s around, the more we’re going to start to see it,” said U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer Natalie Darwitz, GM of PWHL Minnesota and a two-time NCAA champion with the University of Minnesota. “Not to say that romances are going to happen left and right at the rink, but as more franchises start to share facilities and we’re around, it only makes sense because who better to understand the other’s schedule and commitment than another professional hockey player.

“To me, Luke and Sophia is such a cool story. It’d be even cooler if Luke still played for the Wild.”

Luke and Sophia met at the University of Wisconsin before their freshman years. Luke was an incoming men’s hockey player for a Badgers team he’d ultimately captain as a sophomore. Sophia was an incoming women’s hockey player for a Badgers team she’d ultimately captain and help lead to an NCAA championship with the winning goal in the title game.

At Wisconsin, athletes usually come to Madison for summer training before the school year starts.

“We actually were both in the same dorm,” Sophia recalled. “It was a small dorm with us — women’s hockey — men’s hockey, both basketballs and then some track people. We had a lot of time on our hands so we would hang out all the time. We’d see each other at the rink. Started off as friends and then really quickly just started dating in the fall of our freshman year.”

They’ve been together since, although because Luke plays for San Jose and Sophia was part of the Minnesota team in the inaugural PWHL season, they were newlyweds who rarely got to see each other during this first year as husband and wife.

Wild winger Marcus Foligno may be six years older than Luke, but the two hit it off right away when Luke arrived in Minnesota as a rookie, becoming such good pals that Foligno was a groomsman in the Kunins’ wedding, along with Luke’s former Nashville Predators teammate Colton Sissons and childhood best friend Matthew Tkachuk.

In early March, when the Sharks came to Minnesota for their first visit of 2023-24, Foligno was so excited to see his old friend that he asked if he wanted to have dinner the night before the game. He forgot, of course, that Luke would probably rather spend some time with his wife.

“He’s like, ‘Dude, I haven’t seen Sophia in two months,’” Foligno said, laughing. “I’m like, ‘Oh my God, that’s right. You guys have a crazy lifestyle.’ I don’t know how they do it. I’d go insane if I didn’t see my wife all the time, especially the first year of our marriage.”

But as tough as it is, the Kunins have done the long-distance thing often in their relationship since Kunin left Wisconsin after his sophomore year to turn pro.

“It’s tough, but we’re kind of used to it,” Sophia said. “We’ve been apart a lot of our lives. And with both of our schedules, we kind of have the same schedule. So we’re both unavailable to each other throughout the day. We’re here at the rink and then we get to catch up at night.”

Added Luke, “We both love playing and both love what we’re doing and just want to enjoy it as long as we can or as long as both of us want to do it, I guess. Yeah, it’s tough being separated. You want to see each other. But it’s cool to see everything that she’s been doing and the way the league’s going, how much fun she’s having.”

Sophia had just played a weekend series against St. Cloud State when she got the devastating call from her parents, Cristen and Tom, on Oct. 2, 2016, that Drake had taken his own life. A high school hockey and lacrosse player, an avid outdoorsman who loved hunting and fishing, Drake was only 17.

“He was a very happy, normal, popular guy,” Sophia said. “That’s why it came as such a shock to all of us because we would’ve never seen the signs. He seemed to have everything together, but he was struggling on the inside and didn’t want to open up.”

Sophia with her brother, Drake. (Courtesy of Sophia Kunin)

Sophia returned home but came back to school a week later. She buried herself in as much schoolwork and hockey as she could, but she was not doing OK.

Luke was one of her continuous means of support.

“This is probably one of the reasons why we’re so strong together because we would only have been dating for a year at that point,” Sophia said. “I had to lean on him a ton that year because it was obviously the hardest year of my life. That year and even years past, just having him there for me — and he was so good about just checking in and making sure I was doing OK, it’s probably how I got through it. And remember, he’s going through a year where he’s trying to make it to the NHL, too, so he had a tough time with it as well, and I’ll just forever be grateful for him for that.”

Luke was only 18 at the time and was heartbroken for Sophia and her family. He had started to become close with her parents and siblings, including Sophia’s sister, Crosby, who went to the Air Force Academy, was a pilot who flew refueler jets and now has an independent contracting job in Washington, D.C.

“I still can’t imagine what she was going through and her family, and I just wanted to be there for her and her family,” Luke said. “Yeah, it was tough. Drake was such a good kid, and I think the way she handled everything and continues to handle everything, she is crazy strong mentally, just to get through that. She kind of keeps everything moving forward and in the right direction.

“The way she had to handle herself when it happened has really helped turn her into the person she is today. Every day, she just goes about her business and is good and decent to everyone she meets. I know she says I helped her through that time, but she’s the toughest person I’ve ever met. Still is, and we still talk about Drake all the time when the families are together, and he’s still a big part of our family for sure.”

Luke is very close with Sophia’s family, especially her dad, Tom, who takes him to their cabin in Crosslake to go fishing and hunting.

“Luke was never into it because he just didn’t grow up with it, but now he’s got a real passion for the outdoors and loves hanging with my dad,” Sophia said. “They’ve known him since he was 17, so my dad loves teaching Luke things about fishing and hunting. They’ve kind of grown together through that, and they really do think of him as a son.”

Luke Kunin has played for the Wild, Predators and Sharks. (Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)

As tough of a year as the Sharks had, winning only 19 games, Luke scored 11 goals, got into a team-leading nine fights, led the team’s forwards with 165 hits and wore a letter on his chest. General manager Mike Grier said he epitomized what the team is looking for in San Jose, someone willing to battle every night.

A restricted free agent, Luke hopes to sign a long-term deal there this offseason.

And Sophia, who scored a goal in Minnesota’s first game at Boston, is a player Darwitz feels will prove quite valuable once the playoffs begin. Every team has high-end skill, but Darwitz believes the teams that separate themselves will be the ones with high-end depth provided by players like Sophia, who has scored two goals and an assist in 21 games.

Brittyn Fleming forces a turnover and Wayzata Native Sophia Kunin goes top shelf. Minnesota up 2-0! pic.twitter.com/VTu0tY8wxs

— Brett Marshall (@B_Marsh92) January 4, 2024

“In any playoff run, it’s your depth,” Darwitz said. “Sophia’s a big part of our secondary scoring because of her speed. She’s got good hockey IQ. She makes stuff happen. Usually, a lot of her play is without the puck — how well she angles, creates a turnover. Does she want to be on this stat sheet more? Absolutely. Should she be? She could be. She has the potential and the skill. But she’s doing exactly what we need from her right now.”

Sophia Kunin is a good depth forward for PWHL Minnesota (Courtesy of PWHL Minnesota)

Luke and Sophia don’t do a lot of offseason training together. In Nashville, when Sophia was a commercial real estate broker, she skated with the Junior Preds high schoolers to keep in shape and keep playing. But in the summertime now, even though they’re both pros, Luke does his own thing and she does her thing with a group of women who play professionally.

“She’s worked crazy hard to get to where she is,” Luke said. “And I think it’s awesome for the players to have something to look forward to post-college. It’s been great to see how well the turnouts have been in terms of attendance and how well the league’s going. Obviously, it’s real young, but hopefully good things to come for both her and the league.

“Sophia does a little bit of everything. I’ve seen her play in college, and similar to me, just seeing the transition from her college game to pro is really cool. She’s very well-rounded. I’m just having a blast watching her have fun and just hope her and her team does well.”

Foligno got to read the starting lineup in the locker room for PWHL Minnesota’s first-ever home game. Two of his young daughters were by his side, and he hoped it would make an impression long into the future that women were about to play a professional hockey game.

“And my girls know who Sophia is for sure,” Foligno said. “Luke and Sophia are two great people who come from great families. The whole long-distance relationship after getting married is wild in itself, but they’re two people that are passionate about what they do and support each other, which is pretty cool. It’s why they’ve been together for so long. Not to be sappy, but Luke really loves his girl, so it’s cool to see them playing professionally and having success while doing it, too.”

Sophia and Luke Kunin proudly sport their USA Hockey garb. (Courtesy of Sophia Kunin)

Kunin is back in Minnesota for now, but he will head to Czechia next month with the U.S. national team to take part in the world championships. In 2017, he captained the U.S. to world juniors gold.

He’s just excited that during this short stay he’ll get to take in one of Sophia’s games.

And to hang out with his best friend, their spunky 4-year-old French Bulldog, Rocco.

“Luke misses Rocco more than me when he’s away,” Sophia said.

“He’s my favorite,” Luke joked. “But Sophia might take a little better care of him than I could in San Jose, so he stays here. It’s always tough leaving him, especially because when I come back, he pouts at first because he’s so mad I was gone. He gets over it, but the cycle always repeats itself.”

This has been a long, long year for the Kunins being separated. On their wedding day last July, Luke stole the show at the reception by grabbing the mic and singing rock n’ roll songs like Fall Out Boy’s “Sugar, We’re Goin Down.”

“He’s not a good singer at all, by the way,” Sophia cracked.

Several NHLers were there, including Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, Sissons, Dante Fabbro, Ryan Hartman, Jordan Greenway and Foligno.

Several of Sophia’s former teammates were bridesmaids, including Abby Roque, who plays for PWHL New York.

“Abby is kind of the Matthew Tkachuk of our league: talks smack, kind of a rat, so naturally we paired them together as bridesmaid and groomsman and they walked down the aisle together,” Sophia said, laughing.

Nick Kunin, Austin Haglund, Matthew Tkachuk, Luke Kunin, Matthew Freytag, Colton Sissons and Marcus Foligno with Sophia Kunin in front on wedding day. (Courtesy of Sophia Kunin)

This is life as an NHL-PWHL couple. Enjoying the moments they get together and appreciating each other’s careers as they try to fulfill the same dreams.

Even Grier said, “I hear it in Luke’s voice when he talks about the league and talks about Sophia. He’s so proud of her and gets such enjoyment watching her play hockey.”

“I think we’re both super grateful that we, one, met in college and got to play college hockey, but then to continue our careers both professionally,” Sophia said. “It’s a super unique experience. It’s really nice to just have someone else that’s going through the exact same thing as you. Our seasons are going on at the same time. We get to talk about the highs and lows.

“To have someone like that as your partner is really special for us.”

(Top photos courtesy of Sophia Kunin)

The Indianapolis Colts selected UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu with the No. 15 pick.

The Athletic NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler on Latu: A one-year starter at UCLA, Latu was an outside edge rusher in former defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn’s scheme, splitting his time standing up and rushing with his hand on the ground (was also schemed inside at times). Medically rejected at Washington, he was cleared by doctors after transferring to UCLA and was extremely productive over the past two seasons, with 129 total pressures in 25 games. After leading the FBS in tackles for loss in 2023, the consensus All-American cleaned up on the awards circuit as a senior, taking home the Morris Trophy (best DL in Pac-12), Ted Hendricks Award (top DE in FBS) and Lombardi Award (top OL/DL in FBS).

For pass rushers, there is a saying: “Beat the hands, beat the man.” Latu lives by this principle with the cohesive way he weaponizes his hands and feet to defeat blocks (led the FBS with a 24.6 percent pass-rush win percentage in 2023). As a run defender, his lack of ideal length and pop will show at times, but he made significant improvements with his read/react in this area as a senior.

Overall, Latu’s medical history will play a major part in his draft grade, but he is a pass-rush technician with the instinctive feel and athletic bend to be an impactful “two-way go” rusher in the NFL. His play style and journey are reminiscent of Miami Dolphins 2021 first-rounder Jaelan Phillips.

It’s not surprising that corporations are lining up like fans along arena railings to get Caitlin Clark’s autograph. The former Iowa star is a transcendent talent who has proven she is as proficient at breaking viewership records as scoring marks, drawing capacity crowds at home and on the road and even attracting 17,000 spectators to an open practice during Final Four weekend. Her WNBA jersey sold out within hours of her being drafted No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever, and multiple teams have moved upcoming games to larger venues to accommodate “unprecedented demand” for Fever games.

So, it makes perfect sense that she has been hired to pitch everything from home and auto insurance to performance drinks, from trading cards to supermarket chains, from automobiles to financial investment firms. She’s not only deserving of every opportunity but also has earned every endorsement deal that’s been placed before her, including a $28 million Nike pact that includes her own signature shoe line, as reported by The Athletic.

That being said, we should not delude ourselves into believing her appeal as an influencer is based solely on basketball, because it’s not. Arguing otherwise is an affront to history and reality. Clark’s attractiveness to local companies and national corporations is heightened by the fact that she is a White woman who has dominated a sport that’s viewed as predominately Black; a straight woman who is joining a league with a sizable LGBTQ+ player population; and a person who comes from America’s heartland, where residents often feel their beliefs and values are ignored or disrespected by the geographical edges of the country.

Because sport and society are constructed from the same fabric, it’s impossible to separate them, which is why it’s foolish to act as if basketball is the only thing fueling The Caitlin Clark Effect. The primary thing? Yes. But not the only thing.

The bidding war for Caitlin Clark wasn’t even close in the end

• Nike: 8-years/$28 million
• Adidas: 4-years/$6 million
• Under Armour: 4-years/$16 million
• Puma: *dropped out after hearing $3 million*

Nike flexing all over the competition pic.twitter.com/wsuwiHEn1m

— Morning Brew ☕️ (@MorningBrew) April 24, 2024

Some will attempt to mold these words into a disparagement of Clark or her accomplishments. They are not. She is a tremendous player and, by all accounts, a quality human being. But multiple things can be true at the same time, particularly when discussing why one player is perceived to be a better brand ambassador than someone else. Searching for perspective on the topic took me back to an interview I did last month with Flora Kelly, a vice president of research for ESPN.

On the eve of the women’s Final Four, I was intrigued by the question of which is the bigger TV draw — a great player or a great team? Kelly acknowledged the significance of a generational talent like Clark, and how her presence alone can push viewership numbers to record heights, but she also stressed that other factors can push viewership far beyond the roof and into the stratosphere. Factors such as legacies of a franchise or program, rivalries between a team or players, and cultural or societal elements that create viral moments.

“We’re in kind of a unique moment where social media can really spin and kind of create a hyper-awareness around these athletes, causing a moment that goes beyond sport,” Kelly said at the time. “But there are so many other factors that people are just downright ignoring and just making it Caitlin Clark. There are a lot of storylines surrounding her that are lifting it. Maybe it’s not the chicken or the egg. Maybe it’s both.”

The racial component when discussing brand ambassadors may make people uncomfortable, but it’s a conversation that merits consideration. Sue Bird, who is White and gay and one of the legends of women’s basketball, addressed it in 2020 while discussing the league’s inability at that time to capture the country’s attention in the same way that the U.S. women’s national soccer team had done.

“Even though we’re female athletes playing at a high level, our worlds, you know, the soccer world and the basketball world are just totally different,” she said. “And to be blunt it’s the demographic of who’s playing. Women’s soccer players generally are cute little white girls while WNBA players — we are all shapes and sizes … a lot of Black, gay, tall women. … There is maybe an intimidation factor and people are quick to judge it and put it down.”

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Paige Bueckers, a star guard for the University of Connecticut, echoed similar sentiments the following year while accepting the ESPY for best college athlete in women’s sports. She stated that 80 percent of the WNBA postseason awards were won that season by Black players, but they received half the coverage of White athletes.

“With the light that I have now as a White woman who leads a Black-led sport and celebrated here, I want to shed a light on Black women,” she said. “They don’t get the media coverage that they deserve. They’ve given so much to the sport, the community and society as a whole and their value is undeniable.”

Her words were particularly poignant in 2023 when nine of the 10 starters in the WNBA All-Star Game were Black, yet Sabrina Ionescu, a reserve guard who happens to be White, was selected as the cover athlete for NBA2K24. Ionescu was a college icon at Oregon, where she set the NCAA record for triple-doubles, but she had yet to reach that status as a professional. So the decision of NBA2K24 to pass over multiple dominant Black players — including A’Ja Wilson and Jonquel Jones, frontline stars who won league MVPs in 2020, 2021 and 2022 — was particularly conspicuous. But, like Clark, she checked particular boxes that the others did not as a straight, White player.

The topic of sexual orientation and identity is as old as the WNBA itself because of the league’s sizable percentage of LGBTQ+ players. Fact is, the league struggled in its infancy to find the right balance between promoting inclusivity and not alienating the broader community.

Initially, it tended to feature promotional ads of married players with children despite many of its players being non-heterosexual. Sue Wicks, a member of the WNBA’s inaugural draft class who in 2002 became the league’s first openly gay active player, has said she felt boxed in while the league tried to find the right messaging.

“It would always chafe against me, someone saying, ‘You can’t say that you are gay,’” she told The Athletic in 2020.

The league, which today is the most inclusive in professional sports, has come light years since then even if society has not as a whole. In the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, Justice Clarence Thomas cited three other rulings he’d like to see the court take up in the near future, each of which was instrumental in creating the pathway to national same-sex marriage rights. The topic of sexual orientation and identity remains an issue with some, which explains why Clark might be viewed even more favorably as an influencer.

That is not a knock against her personally or a slight to her sublime basketball skills. It is a nod to the reality that brand ambassadorship at her level is not simply a commentary on someone’s athletic ability. It’s also a reflection of society’s impact on who gets the biggest bags.

(Photo: Roy Rochlin / Getty Images for Empire State Realty Trust)