Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham is one of the most well-known WNBA players today. Her charisma off the court and intensity on it have helped her establish a large fan base.
The eight-year veteran has continued to build partnerships with various brands. She also hosts a podcast with basketball trainer Drew Hanlen and has recently expanded her reach to sports broadcasting.
Cunningham established herself as a key player for the Fever in her first two seasons with the team. She averaged 8.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.6 3-pointers across 73 games.
Before joining the Fever, Cunningham spent the first six seasons of her career with the Phoenix Mercury, the team that selected her 13th overall in the 2019 WNBA Draft.
In a recent appearance on Theo Von’s “This Past Weekend” podcast, Cunningham looked back on her early days in the league. The 30-year-old reflected on her first WNBA contract.
“My rookie year, after taxes and everything, I think I made like $28,000,” Cunningham said.
“Back then I wasn’t a very scholarly person. I went to high school, I went to college, because that was the steps to be a professional athlete.”
Cunningham admitted that she regrets not taking full advantage of the opportunities she had while she was still studying.
“I wish I would’ve been better in school,” continued the Missouri alum. “I wish I would’ve done finances or business, or something like that.
“I was making $28,000, and I was like, ‘I need to get a job.’ I need to do something to make money.”
Cunningham is earning much more than $28,000 per year at this point in her career. Ahead of the 2026 season, she signed a one-year, $665,000 deal to remain with the Fever. That is, of course, on top of all the brand partnerships and endorsement contracts she has going on.
Cunningham is set to enter free agency in the offseason as her single-season deal with the Fever comes to an end. It remains to be seen if Indiana will offer her a new deal or if she will decide to take her talents elsewhere.
Cunningham is no business major, but she already has a lot of experience negotiating a new WNBA contract — with the help of her agent. She also knows that the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, which was officially ratified in March, will work in her favor.
“But now, because of our new CBA agreement, which is great, it’s going to continue to get better,” she said. “We’re all making good money now, so we don’t need to (get a second job).”
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