Sophie Cunningham's favorite WNBA moment says it all for Fever
Sophie Cunningham will become an unrestricted free agent as soon as the WNBA league office and the players' association agree to a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Therefore, Cunningham's future is as uncertain as every other WNBA veteran who is entering free agency.
But Cunningham clearly wants to remain with the Fever. She made this apparent when saying, "[Playing in Indiana] has been so much fun. Just being back in the Midwest, I'm back to my roots, I'm back to being around the people that I grew up around, and I feel the most alive," during an interview at her Sophie Cunningham Classic event, which was a three-day sports showcase created for young female athletes, on January 9.
"But the Indiana Fever was such a blessing. It's more my speed, more my style of play, and the girls in the locker room, at any level, it's hard to find a group that really loves each other, and especially at the pros, we really did. So it just made a really fun culture in Indiana," she continued.
"Hopefully this next year, we don't know about the CBA, but hopefully we can keep our core together and go get a championship together," Cunningham concluded.
Watch my full live interview with #Mizzou legend Sophie Cunningham (@sophaller) at day one of the Sophie Cunningham Classic (@sophiecclassic)
— Nathalie Jones (@NathalieABC17) January 10, 2026
"We want them to leave here thinking they can do anything."
Outstanding event put on by the Cunningham family 👏 pic.twitter.com/oAFrlle1VK
Sophie Cunningham furthers pro Fever sentiment
That wasn't the only time Cunningham spoke highly of the Fever this past weekend, as she shared a similar sentiment when being interviewed by KRCG13, which was posted on their TikTok account on January 10.
When asked what her favorite WNBA moment of been so far, Cunningham said, "Well, I think the obvious one would be what happened this year. But you know, I think my favorite W moment was actually getting traded to the Indiana Fever. Like, just to be closer to home, being back in the Midwest culture has been absolutely amazing. The girls were awesome.
"And so I think overall, just having a new start was huge. And so I'm just grateful that I'm — or I guess I was. I don't know if I will be a Fever — but just getting traded was pretty cool," she added.
— Lexie Hull and Sophie C reposts TikTok (@HullTiktok) January 10, 2026
Frankly, it's hard to imagine Cunningham ending up anywhere other than Indiana, given how valuable she was for the franchise both on and off the court during the 2025 season. It will still have to make sense for both sides, of course, but there's no reason to believe this should be an issue.
We know that one Fever superstar guard will be campaigning for Cunningham, who has become her close friend, to return to the team.
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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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