The Indiana Fever’s 2026 WNBA season has officially ended. They failed to advance to the WNBA semifinals, losing to the Las Vegas Aces in the first round. The Fever now face a pivotal offseason ahead as Kelsey Mitchell and Sophie Cunningham, among others, enter free agency.
Mitchell is expected to be a top priority for the 2025 Commissioner’s Cup champions. The four-time WNBA All-Star has been with the Fever since the franchise selected her with the second overall pick of the 2018 draft.
Likewise, Cunningham’s future with the team also hangs in the balance as she becomes an unrestricted free agent. The eight-year veteran has been a solid contributor for the Fever since she arrived in 2025. In the last two seasons, she averaged 8.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists for Indiana.
However, Candace Buckner of The Athletic believes the Fever should move on from Cunningham. The writer explained why it would benefit Indiana to part ways with the outspoken 30-year-old.
“This was the season when the Fever and even the whole Caitlin Clark experience took a backseat to a bench player with big opinions,” Buckner wrote in her article.
“So if the Fever ever want to go back to being a basketball team again and follow the lead of rivals openly clashing with the forces trying to hijack their league, then Cunningham has to go.
“… Cunningham is too combustible, her takes too turbulent to be paired with Caitlin Clark. On the same team, it’s just too much.”
Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
Cunningham has a knack for finding herself in the middle of controversies. This past season, her comments against transgender athletes playing in women’s sports became one of the most polarizing topics within and around the WNBA.
While Buckner acknowledged Cunningham’s value as a protective teammate, she said her effectiveness on the court didn’t shine through. The writer reiterated that Cunningham’s controversial nature outweighs what she brings to the basketball court.
“Cunningham might be content gold, but she’s not nearly worth the trouble for a franchise struggling to keep basketball first,” Buckner added. “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 signed a one-year, $665,000 deal with the Fever ahead of the 2026 season. It now remains to be seen whether the franchise will offer her a new deal.
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