Sophie Cunningham Sounds Off on New Indiana Fever Teammates

Getty

Sophie Cunningham Sounds Off on New Indiana Fever Teammates

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Will Chesanek | Last updated Apr 21, 2026 4:11 PM ET

Sophie Cunningham and the Indiana Fever have high expectations for the 2026 WNBA season. The Fever finished 24-20, good enough for third in the Eastern Conference last year. Cunningham joined the Fever after spending six seasons with the Phoenix Mercury. The 6-foot-1 guard played admirably last season, averaging 8.6 points per game, 3.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 steals in 30 games.

Indiana pushed deep into the playoffs despite injuries to key contributors. The Fever opened with an upset of Allisha Gray and the third-seeded Atlanta Dream before falling to A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces in a deciding fifth game of the semifinals.

Indiana Fever guard Sophie CunninghamTrevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

If Indiana expects to advance further in the playoffs this season, getting production from newcomers Myisha Hines-Allen, Monique Billings and Raven Johnson is of the utmost importance.

Indiana used the 10th overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft to select Johnson, who came out of the 2021 class as the nation’s No. 2 prospect behind Azzi Fudd, the top pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft by the Dallas Wings. Johnson played under Dawn Staley for the South Carolina Gamecocks. The 5-foot-9 guard averaged 9.9 points per game, 4.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists in her senior season in Columbia, South Carolina.

Although attention is focused on the first-round rookie, the two veteran signings are expected to make just as big an impact. Hines-Allen was traded to the Minnesota Lynx from the Washington Mystics during the 2024 WNBA trade deadline. The 6-foot-1 forward averaged 7.6 points and 6.0 rebounds with the Dallas Wings in 2025.

Billings spent last season with the expansion Golden State Valkyries. In 18.3 minutes per game, the 6-foot-4 forward averaged 7.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 0.8 blocks while shooting 47.7% from the field. These new additions are expected to contribute to the Fever in 2026, and Sophie Cunningham hasn’t shied away from expressing her excitement. On Tuesday, the Fever posted a video on social media of Cunningham speaking to reporters during shootaround about the trio of new additions. She described Billings as an athletic stud, Hines-Allen as a monster, and said Johnson is fitting in well with the team.

“...I think you’re adding in a lot of good people,” Cunningham said. “You have Monique Billings, who is an absolute stud, so athletic. Myisha Hines-Allen, who is a monster — so glad we’re on the same team now, and I think she is too. And then you have Raven Johnson, who is a great rookie. I’ve absolutely loved playing with her. Her vibe, her chemistry that we’ve created so far has been pretty elite in a very short span of time. And so I am really excited about this team and where we can go.”