Sophie Cunningham Contradicts Free Agency Wish for Fever Return
On April 12, news broke that Sophie Cunningham had signed a one-year deal with the Indiana Fever in free agency.
This comes after Cunningham broke through as a mainstream star during the 2025 season, largely because of her proximity to Caitlin Clark. There was clearly a mutual desire for Cunningham to return to Indianapolis for the 2026 season, but it had to make sense for both sides in free agency.
In the wake of this news being announced, ESPN's Alexa Philippou made an X post that read, "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). Fever would have to do some retooling to fit everyone under the cap".
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). Fever would have to do some retooling to fit everyone under the cap https://t.co/ODpjbXqDod
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) April 12, 2026
This is an interesting point for several reasons. One is that the prospect of Fever players taking potential salary cuts to fit within the post-CBA salary cap and build a dynasty in the future has been discussed by fans and the media. But that wasn't necessarily in play this season because Clark isn't eligible for the EPIC provision quite yet.
However, the fact that Cunningham accepted a one-year deal in the first place is interesting for another reason.
Sophie Cunningham Goes Against Free Agency Wishes to Re-Join Fever
During an October 31 episode of her Show Me Something podcast, Cunningham said, "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."
She meant this in the way of a longer-term contract, not necessarily in terms of money, because she and the show's co-host, West Wilson, were talking about the fact that professional athletes should never feel comfortable buying and then decorating their house because there's no way of knowing when they might get traded or be playing for another team.
Of course, there's no way to know whether Cunningham had received a multi-year offer from another team (at least not yet). But the fact that she was willing to bypass this desire for comfort and a longer-term deal speaks volumes about how much she wanted to remain with the Fever.
And this desire makes sense. Not only was Cunningham a great fit both on and off the court in Indiana, but her playing alongside Clark on the league's most popular team is how she'll make the most money off the court—and therefore buy nicer decorations when she does get a house.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the Indiana Fever and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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