Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has expressed disappointment with her new deal with the franchise, admitting she wanted more years.
Cunningham recently signed a one-year, $665,000 contract to return to the Fever for one season. However, Clark was hoping she would get a better contract, despite tearing her right MCL last summer, an injury that no doubt impacted the offers she received in free agency.
Speaking on the “Show Me Something Podcast,” Cunningham couldn’t help but show her disappointment with her new contract when asked about it by co-host West Wilson.
“I’m not even gonna lie… it’s a little, kind of, frustrating.”
🎥: @ShowMe_Pod
“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 said (via NY Post).
Sophie Cunningham Clarifies Comments
After the podcast came out, Cunningham took to social media to clarify the comments that she made on her show. According to Cunningham, the money itself isn’t what disappointed her, but rather the lack of years.
“I’m gonna shut this down right now. I’m not mad about the money…. I just wanted more years because I love it here. I wanted to get a house so I could bring my dog and donkey to Indy with me. That’s it. That’s the truth. I think we have something very special here in Indiana!!” Cunningham wrote on X.
Sophie Cunningham is a Fan Favorite for the Indiana Fever
The seven-year WNBA veteran, who played the first six years of her career with the Phoenix Mercury, joined the Fever last season following a four-way trade. In her first season in Indiana, Cunningham played 30 games, including 13 starts, averaging 25.2 minutes per game. She also averaged 8.6 points per game, 3.5 rebounds per game, and 1.2 assists per game, while shooting .469% from the field and an impressive .432% from 3-point range.
In addition to her stellar numbers, Cunningham also became a fan favorite for sticking up for Caitlin Clark, acting as an enforcer when other teams were overly physical towards Clark. Those incidents where she stood up for Clark helped lead to her booming popularity, as she now has over 1 million followers on Instagram. It was also one of the reasons why the Fever wanted to re-sign her to a new contract when she hit unrestricted free agency.
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Fever have the third-best odds to capture the WNBA Championship this season at +450, just behind the New York Liberty at +220 and the Las Vegas Aces at +390. With a healthy Cunningham to go along with Clark, plus Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston, and Lexie Hull, the Fever have one of the strongest rosters in the entire league.
Sophie Cunningham Disappointed With New Indiana Fever Deal, Wanted More Years