Sophie Cunningham Shares 'Frustrating' Opinion About Fever Contract
News broke that the Indiana Fever signed Sophie Cunningham to a one-year deal last week, which cemented that most of the Fever's core from the 2025 season would be returning.
Many free agency deals over the past few weeks have also come with monetary figures attached, especially when players are getting paid over seven figures. However, this was not the case when Cunningham's deal was announced.
It since became clear that Cunningham's salary is $665,000 for 2026, according to Spotrac. And Cunningham's most recent comments indicate she might not be receiving as much as she would have liked, or at least would have hoped for.
Sophie Cunningham's Comments About Fever Free Agency Deal Raise Eyebrows
Cunningham's contract situation came up during an April 20 episode of her "Show Me Something" podcast. After noting the fact that Cunningham re-signed with the Fever, her co-host, West Wilson, asked, "Given the changes in structure and money [with the new CBA], was the contract better than you thought it would be?"
Cunningham shook her head emphatically, signaling a clear response. This prompted Wilson to say, "Nope? Okay, sorry."
"Nope," Cunningham replied. "It's okay! No, it's fine. It's tough, because I came off an injury, and I haven't been in front of any teams. Like, I had a lot going on this offseason. I was fully cleared, they had all the doctors, they had the numbers and everything. But if you don't get in front of these people, it's like, 'Hey, are you actually good?'
"I'm not even gonna lie to you though, it's a little, kind of, frustrating. Because I'm someone who, I kind of shoot it straight, if I wasn't feeling good, or was hesitant, I think I would have said something and been honest. Because I'm just at the point in my career where I just want to win. I just want to win. And so I'm not going to put my ego in front of things. And I know it is a business, but I just think I'm wired a little differently. I don't know. I just want to win," Cunningham continued.
"It was a little weird. But, you know what? I think this was a great wake-up call to not get comfortable. I think it kind of lit a fire under my a** even more. At the end of the day, I'm coming back from a major [injury]. Like, it was a MCL... So I feel good. I'm shooting the ball well, I'm mentally in a great spot."
Sophie Cunningham is not stoked about the contract she signed with the Indiana Fever in free agency
— Grant Young (@GrvntYoung) April 20, 2026
“I’m not even gonna lie… it’s a little, kind of, frustrating.”
🎥: @ShowMe_Pod pic.twitter.com/WlCvJ0fdQT
Ultimately, Cunningham seems excited to be back with the Fever, even if she isn't earning as much as she'd like.
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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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