“Not Nearly Worth the Trouble”: WNBA Journalist Urges Fever to Move on From Sophie Cunningham

The Indiana Fever’s exit from the 2026 WNBA postseason has seemingly opened a can of worms for the team’s trade prospects, and Sophie Cunningham has also joined the list. The guard was signed to a one-year, $665,000 contract for the 2026 season and is now an unrestricted free agent. WNBA reporter Candace Buckner suggested the franchise part ways with her.

Cunningham has been one of the most polarizing players in the league and has been involved in controversy throughout the last season due to her statements about WNBA eligibility and other issues. On the court, she averaged 7.9 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.

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In her latest piece on The Athletic, Buckner believed controversies around her were not worth the trouble for the team:

“Cunningham might be content gold, but she’s not nearly worth the trouble for a franchise struggling to keep basketball first. When you add in the crowd that Cunningham has attracted this season, it’s as though the Fever have been reduced to performing in the background while the world’s most contentious Thanksgiving dinner drags on.”

Cunningham garnered a lot of support from the conservative community, who backed her views. While she created the biggest buzz in the WNBA ever with her finger-pointing moment, her production on the court was far from impressive.

Sophie Cunningham gets labeled as “the Mayor of Columbia”

After the Fever exited the playoffs this season, Sophie Cunningham returned to her alma mater, the University of Missouri, as the Tigers hosted the Florida Gators. While she received a grand welcome, she was also awarded a moniker: the Mayor of Columbia.