Sophie Cunningham Delays Free Agency Decision Amid CBA Negotiations

Sophie Cunningham reached a higher level of popularity in her first year with the Indiana Fever in 2025, even becoming the most-searched WNBA player of the year. In fact, she’s the only female athlete in the top 10 of the list, surpassing teammate Caitlin Clark.

Cunningham played 30 games during the 2025 season, with her campaign cut short after tearing her right knee MCL, which required surgery. She averaged 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1 steal for Indiana, helping the team win the Commissioner’s Cup championship and reach the WNBA semifinals.

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Considering her popularity and production, Cunningham is expected to draw significant interest as she enters free agency. While Fever star Caitlin Clark wants to “run it back” with the veteran guard, Cunningham has made it clear that her priority is to explore her market and get as much money as she can in her next deal.

So far, however, Cunningham has yet to sign with a team. She also emphasized on Friday that she doesn’t plan to sign until the current negotiations for the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) are resolved.

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Cunningham wrote “waiting to see if we will even have a season” on her Instagram stories when asked about where she’s playing next season.

At this time last year, several WNBA free agents had already discussed deals with teams and were waiting for Feb. 1 to sign. Unfortunately, the WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) have yet to agree on a new CBA.

According to Alexa Philippou of ESPN, the WNBA and WNBPA remain in a standstill and are far apart when it comes to the terms of the CBA, including a revenue-sharing system. Representatives from the two parties are set to meet Monday in New York.

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