Indiana Fever face key roster decisions after Cunningham’s season
Sophie Cunningham’s future with the Indiana Fever is one of the key questions facing the franchise after the 2026 WNBA season. With Cunningham and Kelsey Mitchell approaching free agency, Indiana must weigh its backcourt options while building around stars Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston.
Cunningham’s shooting, experience and return from injury could all factor into the team’s offseason decisions. Do you think the Fever should bring Cunningham back for 2027, and what role should she have if she returns?
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Indiana faces a major offseason decision
Indiana must decide which players to retain as it prepares for the 2027 campaign. Cunningham is one of two prominent Fever guards facing unrestricted free agency, alongside veteran scorer Kelsey Mitchell.
General manager Amber Cox has expressed a strong desire to keep Mitchell, while remaining less definite about Cunningham’s future. The organization has not announced a final decision on either player’s next contract.
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A knee injury shaped her previous offseason
Cunningham tore the medial collateral ligament in her right knee late in the 2025 season. The injury limited her opportunities to demonstrate her condition to other teams before entering the following offseason.
She subsequently signed a one-year deal to return to Indiana for 2026. Her recovery and return to competitive basketball became important parts of her latest season as she approached another free agency period.
galecophoto/DepositphotosCunningham contributed across the 2026 season
Cunningham appeared on Indiana’s official 2026 roster as a guard wearing No. 8. Her season averages were 7.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game, according to the WNBA’s player profile.
Those numbers provide a statistical baseline for evaluating her contribution to the Fever. Her next contract discussions will take place against the background of her recent production and experience across eight WNBA seasons.
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Her shooting remains part of the discussion
Cunningham recorded 8.6 points and 3.5 rebounds per game during her first season with Indiana in 2025. ESPN’s season statistics also list her three-point shooting percentage at 43.2%, showing her outside shooting production that year.
Her 2026 averages were lower, according to the WNBA’s official player profile. Comparing both seasons gives Indiana a factual starting point when assessing her scoring, rebounding and potential role next season.
galecophoto/DepositphotosIndiana acquired Cunningham through a trade
Cunningham joined the Fever in January 2025 through a four-team trade involving the Phoenix Mercury. She had spent the first six seasons of her WNBA career in Phoenix before moving to Indiana.
Across those six Mercury seasons, she appeared in 182 games and averaged 7.7 points per game. Her experience with two franchises gives her a longer professional record for teams to consider during the current free agency period.
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The Fever’s playoff run has ended
Indiana’s 2026 postseason ended against the Las Vegas Aces in the first round. The result shifted the team’s immediate attention from playoff competition toward roster planning and preparations for the next WNBA season.
Cunningham appeared in Indiana’s final playoff games, including the October 1 matchup in Las Vegas. The Fever now face offseason decisions involving returning players, free agents and the group they want to build around their leading contributors.
Interesting fact: Sophie Cunningham made Missouri basketball history: She finished her college career with 2,187 points, the most in Missouri women’s basketball history at the time.
ALesik/DepositphotosKelsey Mitchell is another key free agent
Mitchell’s contract situation is another major part of Indiana’s offseason planning. She averaged 24.7 points per game during the 2026 regular season, according to published season statistics, making her scoring production an important consideration in the team’s plans.
Cox has publicly indicated that Indiana wants Mitchell to remain with the franchise throughout her career. Her negotiations and Cunningham’s free agency represent separate decisions that could shape the team’s backcourt for 2027.
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Caitlin Clark remains central to the team’s plans
Caitlin Clark is one of the players Indiana is building around as it works toward becoming a championship contender. The Fever’s official roster lists her 2026 averages at 22.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game.
Her role as a leading guard makes the construction of the surrounding lineup an important offseason consideration. Indiana’s decisions about veteran guards, including Cunningham and Mitchell, will help determine how its backcourt is assembled for the next season.
galkin57/DepositphotosAliyah Boston anchors Indiana’s frontcourt
Aliyah Boston is another central figure in Indiana’s plans for the future. The official Fever roster lists the forward-center at 16.1 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game during the 2026 season.
Indiana’s management must consider how its perimeter players complement Boston and Clark. Cunningham’s free agency is therefore one element of a broader roster review, rather than an isolated decision about a single veteran guard.
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Indiana has other roster options to evaluate
The Fever had several other guards and wings on their 2026 roster, including Lexie Hull, Tyasha Harris and rookie Raven Johnson. Each player gives Indiana another option as the front office evaluates its backcourt depth.
The team also had players at other positions, including forward-center Makayla Timpson and forward Monique Billings. Cunningham’s potential departure is one factor Indiana must consider alongside its available personnel, contract situations and positional needs across the roster.
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Cunningham’s next contract remains uncertain
Cunningham is approaching unrestricted free agency after playing the 2026 season on a 1-year contract. Indiana has not announced a new agreement, and Cox has said the team looks forward to discussing her future.
Cunningham averaged 7.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists while shooting 41.9% from the 3-point range. Those contributions form part of the record Indiana and other teams can evaluate.
With Indiana’s offseason underway, Cunningham has also addressed criticism of her value to the team. Read how she responded to her critics ahead of free agency.
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Indiana’s 2027 roster will take shape this offseason
Indiana’s next steps will depend on its free agency negotiations and the roster decisions made by its front office. Retaining Cunningham could preserve continuity among the team’s veteran guards, while a departure would create an opening for another player.
Neither outcome has been confirmed, leaving her future as one of the Fever’s offseason questions. The team’s decisions will determine how its supporting cast develops around Clark, Boston and the other returning players.
Caitlin Clark’s growing popularity has fueled online speculation about major endorsement opportunities beyond basketball. Explore whether Caitlin Clark signed a $20 million Spotify deal.
If you enjoy WNBA coverage, like this post and comment with your prediction for Indiana’s 2027 roster.
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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