{"id":9444,"date":"2026-04-06T03:05:17","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T03:05:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/d.sheep-mine.ts.net\/?p=9444"},"modified":"2026-04-06T03:05:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T03:05:17","slug":"130049180-cms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/d.sheep-mine.ts.net\/?p=9444","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s going on with Sophie Cunningham? Will she stay with Caitlin Clark-led Indiana Fever? | NBA News &#8211; The Times of India"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-130049179,imgsize-39788,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/sophie-cunningham-and-caitlin-clark.jpg\" alt=\"What\u2019s going on with Sophie Cunningham? Will she stay with Caitlin Clark-led Indiana Fever?\" title=\"Sophie Cunningham and Caitlin Clark. Image via: Doug McSchooler\/AP\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Ta7d_ img_cptn\"><span title=\"Sophie Cunningham and Caitlin Clark. Image via: Doug McSchooler\/AP\">Sophie Cunningham and Caitlin Clark. Image via: Doug McSchooler\/AP<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Right now, Sophie Cunningham is in a telling moment of uncertainty, just as the Indiana Fever prepares for a defining offseason. With Caitlin Clark anchoring the franchise\u2019s future, decisions around the supporting cast now add to more interesting decisions from the management.<!-- --> Cunningham, who carved out a clear role last season, suddenly sits at the center of a financial and basketball puzzle.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"3\"\/>Nothing about this situation feels dramatic on the surface. The expansion draft has passed, free agency is approaching, and Indiana\u2019s salary cap is tightening. Such a combination leaves Cunningham\u2019s future open, even after a season where her fit alongside Clark rarely looked in doubt.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"5\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Sophie Cunningham goes unpicked in <keyword id=\"34879280\" type=\"General\" weightage=\"20\" keywordseo=\"WNBA-Expansion-Draft\" source=\"keywords\">WNBA Expansion Draft<\/keyword><br \/><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<div data-pos=\"0\" class=\"id-r-component iIpbx undefined  &#10;        \">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Sophie Cunningham\" msid=\"130049207\" width=\"\" title=\"Sophie Cunningham. Image via: Getty Images\" placeholdersrc=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/83033472.cms\" imgsize=\"\" resizemode=\"4\" offsetvertical=\"0\" placeholdermsid=\"47529300\" type=\"thumb\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/msid-130049207\/sophie-cunningham.jpg\" data-api-prerender=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Sophie Cunningham. Image via: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"8\"\/>The first signal came during the WNBA expansion draft, when Sophie Cunningham was not selected by either the Portland Fire or Toronto Tempo. <!-- -->It was not entirely surprising. Each new franchise could only pick one unrestricted free agent, and both teams opted for higher-profile targets.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"13\"\/>Cunningham\u2019s name had floated as a possible risk if left unprotected, given her shooting and physical edge. Indiana appeared willing to take that chance. It was likely a calculated move rather than a reflection of her value.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"15\"\/>Before a knee injury cut her campaign short, Cunningham averaged 8.6 points while providing spacing and defensive toughness. More importantly, she complemented Caitlin Clark\u2019s style. She moved well off the ball, created room on the perimeter, and added a level of grit that balanced Indiana\u2019s backcourt.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"19\"\/>It is also the type of skill set that tends to draw interest in free agency. Teams looking for a reliable wing shooter with experience could easily come calling.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"21\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Will the Indiana Fever sign Sophie Cunningham?<br \/><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"23\"\/>This is where the situation becomes more complex. Indiana\u2019s priority list is already taking shape. <!-- -->Kelsey Mitchell is expected to command a supermax deal. Aliyah Boston has become max-eligible under the new CBA. Caitlin Clark\u2019s contract is set to rise before her own max window opens.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"27\"\/>Those commitments leave limited room to maneuver.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"29\"\/>Cunningham enters free agency without restrictions, which means the Fever will need to compete with outside offers if they want to keep her. Lexie Hull\u2019s restricted status gives Indiana more control there, making Cunningham\u2019s case even more delicate.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"32\"\/>There are reasons for optimism. Her chemistry with Clark was natural, and her profile has grown playing in Indiana\u2019s spotlight. If offers across the market land in a similar range, staying with a familiar system could appeal to her.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"34\"\/>At the same time, opportunity often drives decisions in this league. A larger role or a better contract elsewhere could change the picture.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"36\"\/>Indiana\u2019s front office does not have much time to wait. Training camp is approaching, and roster clarity will need to come soon.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"38\"\/><\/div>\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/sports\/nba\/top-stories\/whats-going-on-with-sophie-cunningham-will-she-stay-with-caitlin-clark-led-indiana-fever\/articleshow\/130049180.cms\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sophie Cunningham and Caitlin Clark. Image via: Doug McSchooler\/AP Right now, Sophie Cunningham is in&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9445,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[23713,23715,23712,23711,20533,23714],"class_list":["post-9444","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-caitlin-clark","tag-free-agency","tag-indiana-fever","tag-sophie-cunningham","tag-wnba","tag-wnba-expansion-draft"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/d.sheep-mine.ts.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9444","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/d.sheep-mine.ts.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/d.sheep-mine.ts.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/d.sheep-mine.ts.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/d.sheep-mine.ts.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9444"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/d.sheep-mine.ts.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9444\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/d.sheep-mine.ts.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9445"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/d.sheep-mine.ts.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9444"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/d.sheep-mine.ts.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9444"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/d.sheep-mine.ts.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9444"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}