Sophie Cunningham Development Emerges After Indiana Fever's Playoff Exit

Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images

Sophie Cunningham Development Emerges After Indiana Fever's Playoff Exit

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Angelo Guinhawa | Last updated Oct 4, 2026 8:18 PM ET

WNBA veteran Sophie Cunningham proved to be a reliable backup guard for the Indiana Fever in the 2026 season, averaging 7.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 0.5 steals per game.

Cunningham shot 46% from the field and 41.9% from deep, giving Indiana some much-needed shooting off the bench along with her physicality.

Despite coming off the bench, the 30-year-old was the Fever’s fourth-best scorer behind the Big 3 of Kelsey Mitchell, Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston. She also had the fifth-best offensive win shares on the team.

With that said, Cunningham established herself as a legitimate candidate for the Sixth Player of the Year award, the honor given to the WNBA’s top reserve. Even the Fever campaigned for her to win the honor in the final days of the regular season.

Indiana Fever guards Caitlin Clark (22) and Sophie Cunningham (8) talk on the bench.Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect

Unfortunately for Cunningham, days after the Fever’s playoff exit in the first round, the WNBA announced that Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaun had won the Sixth Player of the Year award.

Making matters worse, Cunningham didn’t even get a single first-place vote, with Salaun receiving all 74 votes from the panel of sportswriters and broadcasters who voted for the award.

For what it’s worth, Salaun averaged a career-high 12.7 points in 40 games (all off the bench) for the Valkyries. It was the highest scoring average for any reserve in the 2026 season. She also set the WNBA’s single-season record for points (509) by a reserve.

Cunningham certainly thrived in a reserve role for Indiana, and while she didn’t win the top award for her role, there’s no denying that she was really impactful.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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