Sophie Cunningham is weighing her options up as free agency nears and her one-year deal with the Fever has expired, and she gave some insight into how she assesses her options off the court
Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham were both injured and missed much of the Indiana Fever season(Image: Getty Images)
Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham revealed she prefers prospective partners to be older than her as she weighs up her future in free agency.
Back in August, Cunningham exited the Fever’s win over the Connecticut Sun after Bria Hartley fell awkwardly into her. The 29-year-old clutched her right knee and missed the remainder of the season with a torn right MCL.
Cunningham averaged 8.6 points and 3.5 rebounds and was putting together a solid first season in Indiana prior to her injury. While the Fever also missed Caitlin Clark, they reached the WNBA semi-finals, falling to the eventual champion Las Vegas Aces and MVP A’ja Wilson to cap off an impressive season.
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Ultimately, 2025 was solid year for Cunningham. She signed with the team as a free agent on a one-year, $100,000 deal and quickly established herself as a key role player; she hit headlines when sticking up for Clark during a physical clash against Connecticut, leading to her ejection.
Cunningham has become something of a household name among Fever fans, and she launched her own podcast with close friend West Wilson. The “Show Me Something” podcast has been a success, and she recently answered questons from fans in the latest episode.
One question was about her dating preferences, asking if she had any limits in terms of age. Wilson responded first, saying he wouldn’t want to date anyone more than five years younger than him.
“I feel like the maturity level is still just different,” Cunningham said as she agreed. The Fever star then added her own dating rule regarding an age gap, saying: “I’m right there with you.
“I think only older. I’ve only dated older.”
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Sophie Cunningham’s podcast has proved a hit after launching earlier this year(Image: Show Me Something / YouTube)
As for her professional life, this offseason is shaping up to be an interesting one for Cunningham. She is set to juggle both rehabilitation and contract negotiations, and Fever fans are clamoring for her return in 2026.
Despite her injury, Cunningham is expected to return to the court for the start of next season. The league’s collective bargaining agreement expires on Oct. 31, and Sophie could benefit from salary improvements as free agency officially opens on Feb. 1.
It iwll be interesting to see which franchises make a move to sign Cunningham following her season in Indiana. She’s certainly elevated her profile, both on and off the court.
“Kelsey is the most selfless, humble human you will ever ever meet,” Cunningham said on her podcast. “And I think if we would have made it, if we would (have) won and she would have been healthy, she should have been MVP. I’m not taking away from A’ja [Wilson], but nobody, nobody in our entire league could stop Kelsey Mitchell this year.
“And I want to be her biggest fan because she is just, I’m not kidding, the best human that you could possibly ever be around.”