Fever's Sophie Cunningham clarifies contract controversy: 'It was never about the money'

TL;DR

Sophie Cunningham of the Indiana Fever addressed controversy over her $665,000 contract, stating it was not about the money but her desire for a longer commitment. She clarified that she loves playing in Indiana and wants to settle down there with her pets.

Key points

Sophie Cunningham plays for the Indiana Fever.
Her contract is worth $665,000 for one year.
Cunningham expressed frustration over her contract situation.
She clarified that her comments were not about money.
Cunningham wants to settle in Indiana with her pets.

Sophie CunninghamIndiana Fever

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham caused some controversy with some comments she made about her new one-year, $665,000 contract on her podcast “Show Me Something,” with co-host West Wilson.

During Monday’s episode, Wilson asked her if her contract was better than she thought it would be. She shook her head and said, “Nope,” going on to concede that she was coming off an injury and had dealt with a lot over the offseason. She called the situation “frustrating,” which is what set off a conversation on social media.

Later Monday, Cunningham clarified her comments on X.

“I’m gonna shut this down right now. I’m not mad about the money,” Cunningham wrote. “I just wanted more years because I love it here. I wanted to get a house so I could bring my dog and donkey to Indy with me. That’s it. That’s the truth. I think we have something very special here in Indiana!!”

Cunningham went into more detail when she spoke to reporters on Tuesday.

“It made me sound snotty and ungrateful, and that is the last thing I ever want,” Cunningham said. “I am so grateful. I know I’m coming off a pretty big knee injury, so it was never about the money. It was just about the years, because I wanted to be with them. God forbid a girl loves her teammates.”

Cunningham joined the Fever last season after spending her first six seasons with the Phoenix Mercury. She averaged 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 steals, playing 25.2 minutes per game and appearing in 30 games before suffering a season-ending torn MCL on Aug. 17 against the Connecticut Sun.

Cunningham said she chose the Fever over multi-year deals from other teams because of how much she enjoyed being with the team.

“I’m almost 30 years old,” Cunningham said Tuesday. “I want to have a home. I want to kind of get established, and I would love to get established in a place like Indiana. We had such a great time. When you find a group of girls who really make you fall in love with basketball again — and you enjoy it and you enjoy them, not only on the court but off the court — you want to hold on to that. And so that’s what I meant by that.”

Q&A

What did Sophie Cunningham say about her contract with the Indiana Fever?

Sophie Cunningham stated that her comments about her contract were not about the money but rather her desire for a longer commitment to the team.

Why did Sophie Cunningham feel frustrated about her contract situation?

Cunningham felt frustrated due to her recent injury and the challenges she faced during the offseason, which contributed to her comments on her podcast.

What did Sophie Cunningham clarify on social media regarding her contract?

Cunningham clarified that she is not upset about the money but wanted a longer contract to settle in Indiana with her pets.