The 2026 WNBA expansion draft has concluded, but Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham’s future is still uncertain. The new teams, Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, have most of their rosters ready but will look to add young talent in the upcoming draft. While the Fever lost two players during the expansion picks, questions have been raised about Cunningham’s prospects.
Cunningham was under a one-year $100,000 contract with the Fever for the 2025 season and came as an unrestricted free agent to the expansion draft. However, both the Tempo and Fire were only allowed one UFA per team, and they picked Julie Allemand and Bridget Carleton, respectively. The Fever guard will now look forward to the free agency that might be kicking off soon.
Cunningham has complemented Caitlin Clark perfectly on the court. She plays off the ball and spaces the team’s offense, giving them a major scoring option on the wing. Even though she suffered a season-ending knee injury in the 2025 season, the shooting guard averaged 8.6 points in 25.2 minutes per game.
Probably, the Fever management could have made a conscious call to keep Cunningham out of the protected players’ list as a calculated risk. Teams were allowed only one UFA, and picking Cunningham would not have made sense given that she is still far from being a permanent starter.
This would mean that the team management could offer her an extension in the free agency period. Given that she would be available in the trade market soon, she might also receive some good offers from teams searching for an efficient wing shooter, like the Chicago Sky or LA Sparks, who have lost two crucial bench players in the expansion draft.
How can the Fever management proceed with Sophie Cunningham?
The Indiana Fever has a lot on its plate before the 2026 season officially kicks off. After losing a talented rookie in Chloe Bibby and a role player in Kristy Wallace, the team will need to offer big bags to its superstars (thanks to the new CBA), Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston, and Caitlin Clark, who are due a max extension.
Lexie Hull is a restricted free agent, which might relieve the front office as they have the freedom to match any offer she receives and keep her on the roster. That leaves a big question about whether Sophie Cunningham would be fairly compensated, given the team’s salary cap. This might lead other teams to jump in and grab the efficient wing scorer in the period.
The picture will be clearer soon as the league approaches its free agency period. Last season, the Fever lost to the eventual champions, the Las Vegas Aces, in the semifinals, when Clark and Bibby were on the sidelines. This time around, the team will look to begin with maximum capacity and hope for a dreamy regular season, if all goes well in free agency.
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