WNBA free agent and former Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham delivered a brutally honest line when asked about her future in the league amid labor negotiations
Sophie Cunningham is a highly-regarded free agent this offseason(Image: Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
Sophie Cunningham pulled no punches when responding to questions about her WNBA future.
Cunningham, who is a free agent after spending the 2025 WNBA season with the Indiana Fever, was brutally honest about what her professional future may look like when answering questions on her Instagram story Friday.
In response to a question asking where she would be playing next season, Cunningham wrote “waiting to see if we will even have a season…,” in reference to the ongoing labor negotiations between the WNBA and its players association regarding a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
Cunningham teamed up with Caitlin Clark and the Fever last year after spending six seasons with the Phoenix Mercury, averaging 8.6 points and 3.5 rebounds in 30 games played.
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Although her season was cut short by a torn MCL, Cunningham is expected to be wanted by several teams in 2026, including Indiana.
But with less than 100 days until the scheduled start of the 2026 season, the WNBA and WNBPA remain in talks over a new CBA.
If the two sides cannot come to an agreement, it is almost guaranteed there will be a players’ strike and the season will be postponed until one is reached.
It comes after the WNBPA opted out of its old CBA in October 2024 due to a wide variety of concerns regarding player welfare, including the quality of travel, housing, and team facilities, as well as raising the base salary amid the league’s recent boom in popularity thanks to stars such as Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers.
Sophie Cunningham became a fan-favorite playing alongside Caitlin Clark in 2025(Image: Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
One of the many factors that spurred the WNBPA to opt out early – the CBA was set to run through 2027 – was the WNBA’s brand new 11-year media right deal valued at more than $2.2 billion, which represented the exponential growth of the league in such a short period of time that was not reflected in player salaries, among other areas.
Revenue sharing is one of the key items being negotiated in the new CBA, with players demanding larger salaries in accordance with the league’s continued growth.
In 2025, the league’s minimum player salary was just more than $66,000 annually and maximum just short of $250,000.
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The WNBA’s latest proposal, per ESPN, would see players earn a minimum salary of $225,000 and a maximum salary guaranteeing a base of $1 million, although those figures have not yet been agreed upon by the WNBPA.
In December, the WNBPA voted to authorize a strike if negotiations fail, which would not only halt all games, but free agency – such as Cunningham’s – the draft, access to facilities, and more.
It comes as many of the WNBA’s star players take part in Unrivaled, a three-on-three league founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart currently playing its second season that offers an average salary of $220,000.