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Sophie Cunningham delivered eye-opening remarks about the WNBA’s direction as collective bargaining agreement (CBA) talks remain stalled, noting that the lack of progress is also impacting her free agency.
Cunningham turned in one of her strongest seasons in 2025 with the Indiana Fever before injury cut it short, and although she hopes to rejoin the team, she emphasized that CBA issues must be resolved before anything can move forward.
Speaking to Front Office Sports, she said that even though conversations are ongoing, no real advancement has been made, adding further weight to speculation about a potential lockout as negotiations continue to drag.
“I think the last meeting was about two weeks ago,” she said. “I know our execs are talking with their people every single day. I don’t think there’s been much movement. I think at least there’s communication. So that’s the biggest thing for us.
“So I’m not so sure where they’re at. But for us players, I think we’re standing strong on what we want.”
The WNBA and its players’ association approved a 30-day extension of the current CBA through Nov. 30, with the provision that players may end the extension at any point with 48 hours’ notice.
According to ESPN, allowing the CBA to expire would have opened the possibility of a player strike or an owner-driven lockout.
The league has pitched major increases to both minimum and maximum salaries, aligning with the revenue growth the WNBA has seen since the last CBA was negotiated.
Front Office Sports reported that one proposal called for a supermax salary of $850,000, but Sophie Cunningham noted that players want deals that can adjust alongside league revenue.
“It sounds good and they can always wave a big number in your face,” she said. “But what happens when the business continues to go up? Does that mean that our salaries are going to continue to go up, or will they stay the same? And I think that’s been our biggest thing, revenue share.”
Sophie Cunningham discusses future with Fever amid CBA standstill
Sophie Cunningham acknowledged the broader uncertainty the league is facing, pointing to concerns about the CBA, financial stability and even whether the league will return next year.
She said the Fever are trying to keep their core intact, but outside financial offers could complicate matters. If the league does move forward, she stressed the importance of staying healthy.
“(If) people want to come back, we’re trying to keep our core together,” she told Front Office Sports. “But, you know, when money is waved in people’s faces, you just never know.”
Last season, the Fever were plagued by injuries to Cunningham, Caitlin Clark, Aari McDonald, Syd Colson and Chloe Bibby.
“Honestly, I think the missing piece is just being healthy,” Cunningham said. I think that’s the name of the game. And even when we weren’t healthy, we were a couple calls away from making it to the Finals.
“And so, for us, I think just the amount of adversity that we had through that we went through this past year, I think it’s setting us up.”
Sophie Cunningham said that although players are staying connected, there’s not much to address until a new CBA is finalized, adding that the same uncertainty seems to be felt throughout the league.
Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro
