Sophie Cunningham Had Strong Words on Indiana Fever Star

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Angelo Guinhawa | Last updated Oct 7, 2025 8:42 AM ET

Sophie Cunningham had quite an eventful first season as a member of the Indiana Fever. She averaged 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 steal in 30 games, establishing herself as a key piece off the bench for the team.

The 29-year-old also created a reputation as an enforcer for the Fever, especially after she got into a scuffle during a June game against the Connecticut Sun in retaliation after her teammate Caitlin Clark was poked in the eye and shoved.

Furthermore, despite being new to the team, Cunningham has quickly developed a strong bond with her teammates. She was often seen joking around with Clark and Lexie Hull, and while her season ended prematurely due to an MCL injury, she continued cheering for the Fever from the sidelines.

That said, there's no doubt that Cunningham absolutely loved her first year with the franchise.

Interestingly, one particular Indiana teammate stood out in Cunningham's eyes, especially the way she handled herself amid the adversity the Fever faced throughout the season: Kelsey Mitchell.

Indiana Fever's Aliyah Boston (7), Caitlin Clark (22) and Kelsey Mitchell (0) take a photo before the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game.Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Kelsey is the most selfless, humble human you will ever ever meet," Cunningham said of Mitchell during the latest episode of her "Show Me Something" podcast.

"And I think if we would have made it, if we would [have] won and she would have been healthy, she should have been MVP. I'm not taking away from A'ja [Wilson], but nobody, nobody in our entire league could stop Kelsey Mitchell this year. And I want to be her biggest fan because she is just, I'm not kidding, the best human that you could possibly ever be around."

Mitchell played all 44 regular season games for the Fever during the 2025 season and was an MVP candidate. She led Indiana all the way to the WNBA semifinals, although she had to exit Game 5 against the Las Vegas Aces as she pushed herself "to a point of exhaustion where she couldn’t go anymore," per Cunningham.

From Cunningham's statement, it was clear that Mitchell really established herself as a leader of the team.

Both Cunningham and Mitchell are unrestricted free agents this WNBA offseason, so it will be interesting to see if they will be able to reunite in Indiana. Regardless of what happens though, Cunningham has nothing but love and admiration for Mitchell.

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

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