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As part of the largest trade in WNBA history, the Indiana Fever in February acquired Sophie Cunningham from the Phoenix Mercury in a move that saw both teams reshaped. In Cunningham, Fever general manager Amber Cox saw a “perfect fit” for how Indiana wanted to play around star point guard Caitlin Clark — and Cunningham became known as Clark’s “enforcer,” a physical, versatile 6’1” shooting guard with a deadly 3-point shot.
Cunningham though saw her season end earlier than expected due to a knee injury she suffered in August; by that time, Clark too was injured, and neither player returned to action even as the Fever made a run to the WNBA semifinals. Despite Indiana’s finish, one game shy of a WNBA Finals appearance, the Fever’s roster could change dramatically in 2026 — and that could mean Cunningham, an unrestricted free agent, will be on another team next year.
Kelsey Mitchell, not Cunningham, is the Fever’s #1 priority
Though the league’s calendar is in flux as the WNBA and the WNBPA continue negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement, the upcoming free agency class will see practically every player not on a rookie deal hit the open market next spring. Cunningham is one of eight Fever players slated for unrestricted free agency — but it is another Indiana guard who is the franchise’s priority whenever the market opens.
Indiana GM Cox and head coach Stephanie White have stated that re-signing three-time All-Star Kelsey Mitchell is the franchise’s #1 goal in free agency, a stance reaffirmed in a new SB Nation free-agent ranking.
“We want to continue to build around her and continue for her to have success. I thought she was so instrumental in everything that we did,” White said last month. “You lose everybody that we lost, and Kelsey Mitchell just kept getting better and better and better as the year progressed. And I think that while it’s hard to believe she’s eight years or whatever in this league, that there’s still so much in her.”
The Fever’s anticipated efforts to re-sign Mitchell on a multi-year contract may squeeze Cunningham out of the picture. Teams around the WNBA are likely to covet Cunningham after a season in which she averaged 12.2 points per game and shot a career-best 43 percent from downtown.Â
In addition, Cunningham herself is aware of her value — and she is not prepared to settle for a run-of-the-mill one-year deal, especially with salaries set to rise significantly when a new CBA is ratified.
“The next team I play for, I want a bigger contract, so then I can buy a house and be cozy,” Cunningham said last week on her Show Me Something podcast. “It could be anywhere.”
