The Indiana Fever have spent much of the 2026 season navigating conversations that have repeatedly taken attention away from the game. Sophie Cunningham has been at the center of several of them, and now that Indiana’s season is over, questions about her future have only added to the noise.

The Athletic recently published a column suggesting the Fever should move on from the veteran guard. And while Cunningham has already fired back at that take on her podcast, the debate over her place in Indiana has caught fire. So she has another message for those weighing in on her future.

The New York Post on X highlighted her “suck it” response to the criticism. In response to that post, Cunningham shared, “It’s all love! 😘 If you’re hating, kiss my a–! 😂 The moon 🌕 will keep shining regardless of who likes it or not. Everything happens in its own time, and what’s meant to shine will shine when the time is right. ✨💯.”

Candace Buckner, in her column, argued that Indiana should part ways with the 30-year-old because of the attention she has attracted through her off-court comments, particularly her views on transgender athletes in women’s sports. So, as a team that already has an enormous spotlight on them because of Caitlin Clark, Buckner believes the Fever may be better off moving in a different direction.

“If the Fever ever want to go back to being a basketball team again and follow the lead of rivals openly clashing with the forces trying to hijack their league, then Cunningham has to go,” Buckner noted.

Sophie Cunningham, however, has made it clear that she does not believe her critics fully understand what she brings to the team. While addressing Buckner’s column on her No Hesitation podcast, she dismissed those questioning her effectiveness and insisted her contributions go beyond what appears on the stat sheet.

“I’ve said this so many times: if you’re going to live by the praise, you’re going to die by the hate. The majority of these people have never picked up a ball in their entire lives. And they’re just thirsty to have attention or be relevant in some type of way,” she said on the October 9 episode of her podcast. “No matter what anyone says to me, I’m going to continue to do me. I know what I bring to the table. It’s not always in the stat sheet. And so for you to like not say I’m effective or any of that – whatever, suck it.”

In this season, Cunningham averaged 7.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 22.2 minutes per game. She shot 46% from the field and 41.9% from three-point range. Then in the playoffs, she averaged 7.3 points during Indiana’s first-round playoff series against the Las Vegas Aces, which ended in a 2-1 defeat.

Now, those figures do not necessarily stand out, and that leaves the Fever with a decision that extends beyond the latest social media exchange. Sophie Cunningham will soon be a free agent, and the team will have to decide if they want her back on their roster.

However, so far there is no certainty about whether the Fever will bring Sophie Cunningham back, and speculation surrounding her future is likely to continue until Indiana makes its decision, leaving the guard’s next chapter up in the air as she enters free agency.

The 2027 WNBA free-agency period is expected to begin in late January or early February, which will give Indiana plenty of time to decide whether Cunningham still fits its plans. Until then, her future with the Fever remains unresolved, and her latest message suggests she is content to let things unfold in their own time.

But the whole conversation forces us to ask one question: should off-court opinions determine who should stay with a team and who doesn’t? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.