When Sophie Cunningham was finding a new team in the offseason, she had just one goal for her next WNBA contract: “I think the next team I play for, I want a bigger contract. So then I can buy a house and be homey and cozy.” But the Fever guard never thought that this personal milestone could become a complication in her return to the Indiana Fever and subsequently reuniting the Tres Leches with Caitlin Clark and Lexie Hull. Now, a reliable WNBA analyst has doubled down on the personal vs professional goal challenge that Cunningham is facing.
Speaking on his channel, Robin Lundberg assessed that, with a new deal with the Indiana Fever, Cunningham has put the personal goals she considered six months ago on the back burner to focus on her immediate goals on the court.
“Sophie back with Indiana in a one-year deal. This part of it is sort of interesting because she has said on her podcast previously, I forget the exact wording but basically, was that she wanted to settle down somewhere and feel cozy and wanted a big contract,” Lundberg said. “So, a big contract, I’m sure, applies monetarily, but also maybe annually, as far as the years that are on it. But this is not that.”
“So perhaps, Sophie sort of sacrificing that sort of security in order to run it back with the Fever. Of course, it was great for her career to play with the Indiana Fever to play along side Caitlin Clark, and she became a superstar outside of just the general WNBA fandom,” Lundberg added further.
Cunningham’s new contract is a one-and-done deal, meaning that she will be an unrestricted agent next season as well. The financial terms of the deal aren’t in the public domain, but, of course, they will likely be below the lucrative $1M contract Cunningham was hoping for. All of this goes against the stability the Fever guard had hoped to achieve.
But it’s something the Indiana Fever can’t help, and it largely stems from the new CBA. The Fever front office has used the same sort of deal in Kelsey Mitchell’s case, who received a core qualifying offer, which, by definition, means a one-year contract with a supermax salary ($1.4M in this case).
Now, it’s very important to understand that under the CBA EPIC provision, players like Aaliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark, who have been nailing it out on the court, will receive a significant pay rise. CC will be eligible next year, while Boston will receive her dues this season. All in all, these will put a great deal of pressure on the Fever’s $7M salary cap.
To maintain some flexibility, the Fever is trending toward short-term contracts rather than long-term commitments. More importantly, come next season, when Clark will be in her fourth year and eligible for the EPIC provision, it’s also possible Cunningham, from the infamous Tres Leches, might have to move on from Indy, as, of course, they will want to keep CC at any cost for the franchise. Insider Alexa Philippou also echoed the same sentiment from this perspective.
“Not shocking to see Indiana dealing out one-year deals (Kelsey Mitchell, too). Remember, Caitlin Clark can get a big salary bump next year under the new EPIC provision (Aliyah Boston is eligible for it this year),” she said. “Fever would have to do some retooling to fit everyone under the cap.”
But all of it doesn’t even matter to Sophie Cunningham at the moment as she’s up for one last dance with her teammates at Indiana Fever, emphasizing that it’s important for her to conclude her journey that she tipped off last season.
“We fought through a ton of adversity, and it was important to me that we have a chance to see through what we started,” Cunningham said of her aspiration for returning. “I have a feeling this is going to be another special season, so I’m excited to get things started.”
From an on-court perspective, Cunningham’s addition brings great value to the program. And this is something that even the Fever front office will be aware of, given her performance last season without the Fever’s franchise star, Caitlin Clark.
Indiana Fever GM Decodes the Sophie Cunningham Signing
To understand Sophie Cunningham’s contribution for Indiana Fever last season, you’ll have to look much beyond her season point averages or number of rebounds. Joining from the Phoenix Mercury, Sophie Cunningham was an immediate fit in Indiana, stepping into an enforcer-style role in the starting lineup. Fans often viewed her as the replacement for Erica Wheeler, especially given how consistently she stood up for her teammates.
Everyone remembers the moment she was ejected for “unnecessary and excessive” contact in a June game against Connecticut Sun after Caitlin Clark was poked in the eye. From that point on, she had already cemented herself as a fan favorite. Her season with the Indiana Fever may have been cut short by an MCL tear in August, but Sophie still appeared in 30 games in 2025, averaging 8.6 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
Cunningham held down the starting wing spot for the Fever that season and could very well step back into that role again. Of course, they have the likes of CC and Mitchell, but when it comes to three-point shooting, Cunningham stands among them in her own right.
Indiana Fever general manager Amber Cox emphasized Cunningham’s volume of three-point shooting as the major factor that helps the team greatly on the court. “I think she’s always willing to step in and do whatever it takes to win,” Cox said. “When you have a shooter like Sophie – somebody who’s consistently at the top of the league every single year in terms of her effectiveness from beyond the arc – that really helps everybody else too. ”
Additionally, Cox touched on Cunningham’s “infectious personality,” which helps her build an immediate bond with her teammates and fan bases. With such skill sets, it’s quite certain the Fever weren’t looking to get off her back that easily. And this short-term contract for this season, despite the mounting pressure on the salary cap, just adds weight to it.
With Cunningham’s signing, the Fever now has a complete roster. It’s quite possible that, with such a stacked team, Cunningham herself will have to play second fiddle off the bench and complement potential starters like Caitlin Clark, Aaliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell.
But with Lexie Hull signing a multi-year deal, this run won’t be long, as she will be forced to navigate the roadmap of her career yet again next season to manage the salary cap load. Thus, it’s important for Fever fans to enjoy the band together, possibly for the last time. The official season tips off on May 9 against the Dallas Wings at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
