With the WNBA offseason here, the impending status of Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham has become a huge subject of discussion amongst fans, media, and analysts across the basketball community. Just days after the season ended, the Indiana Fever’s general manager/COO Amber Cox sat down with the media to discuss the roster and Cunningham as she prepares for unrestricted free agency.
Evaluating Performance Over Outside Noise
Cunningham was once again at the center of headlines and public discussion over season about talking outside the game. Asked point-blank if outside distractions and media surrounding the comments would affect the organization in its assessment of Cunningham, Cox replied quickly and simply: “No.”
‘The front office evaluates the players on what they do for us on the floor and within our culture, not by what they read in the media cycles,’ Cox said.
Locker Room Leadership & On-Court Results
Though leaving flexibility in negotiation of the contract, Cox said he was impressed by Cunningham’s competitiveness and veteran presence on the roster.
“From a shooting aspect, Sophie’s had two really productive years for us,” Cox said. “She is a really good, solid locker room leader. She is a good connector. She brings a lot of levity, but brings a lot of experience. She’s serious and can be a good voice in our locker room when we really need to lock in.”
Cunningham re-upped on a one-year contract to return to Indiana for the season, where she enjoyed a solid season as a dependable perimeter shooter and veteran presence. Her contract has since expired, making her an unrestricted free agent free to seek out her future NBA home.
The Future of Free Agency:
Cox also acknowledged that it is still very early in the course of the offseason, and real negotiations between the club and Cunningham’s agents haven’t gotten that far yet.
“We’ll look forward to having those discussions,” Cox said, “because she’s an unrestricted free agent. Again, she had a very, very good year. We’ll see where things lead. Again, it’s very, very early, and we’ve got some time before free agency.”
With the Fever assessing their needs-from frontcourt depth to scoring from the defensive wing positions-Cunningham’s next move with the Fever will be among the top plot lines heading into the WNBA offseason.