After six years with the Phoenix Mercury, Sophie Cunningham joined the Indiana Fever full of hope, only to have her season cut short by an untimely injury. Since then, she has kept busy hosting her podcast, cheering on her teammates, and supporting WNBA players in their fight for better rights. Through it all, Sophie has stayed focused on her recovery, aiming to be fully fit for next season. But what does she have planned for the offseason?

Heading into this offseason, Cunningham has declared she is back in Phoenix but not for long. On her podcast ‘Show Me Something,’ her co-host, West Wilson, asked about her current living situation in Phoenix and whether she will stay there in the long term. “Yes and no. I’m still going to be around because I’m going to do the majority of my rehab out here, but living here and having a place here. NO,” Cunningham answered before highlighting where she wishes to move this offseason.

Sophie has multiple places in mind, but what better than NY? “It’s just like where I’m going to be next, cuz you kind of know when you’re not filming, you’re kind of in offseason and so New York is the perfect hub to live to do all that, but I also don’t want to be in the cold and so that’s why it’s like I’ll be between here, Missouri and Florida, or like my kind of triangle. Technically, I’m not signed to Indiana.” Cunningham added. 

That last bit won’t comfort the Indiana Fever fans who desperately want Cunningham on their 2026 roster. She has expressed interest in returning for 2026, but “will listen to other offers”. The fact remains that until this CBA situation gets sorted out, free agency seems far into the future. Everyone is almost certain that an agreement will not happen before the October 31 deadline, so an extension is likely. 

This delay also pushes back the start of free agency, the expansion draft, and the 2026 draft, leaving many players, including Cunningham, in limbo about their next destination. While she is outspoken about management at every turn, Cunningham isn’t part of the official negotiations and often has little idea where things stand, just like many of her peers.

Thankfully, Sophie isn’t relying on international basketball (thanks to her off-court income). For Cunningham, this offseason uncertainty is a minor hurdle in the push for a better CBA, and the situation may not be as grim as she once feared.

ESPN Report Refutes Sophie Cunningham’s Prediction 

Sophie Cunningham says things as they are. And when the Indiana Fever ended their season after a heartbreaking Game 5 defeat, Collier had recently lit the fire to the CBA negotiations. “There’s a potential lockout. I promise you we aren’t going to play until they give us what we deserve,” Cunningham said in her exit interview. “That’s kinda where it’s headed unfortunately, which would be the dumbest basketball decision, business-wise, ever, considering the momentum the W has.”

However, according to a report from ESPN, the lockout looks unlikely. “In the end, a work stoppage doesn’t benefit anybody,” a source told ESPN. “I don’t know exactly how far people are off. But generally, when I’ve seen these things, usually as it comes closer to crunch time, everybody kind of moves a little bit closer together, and we can get to a deal that’s reasonable enough.”

The players who have continued piling on the pressure on Cathy Engelbert and now even Adam Silver regarding a better CBA. After his comments on the ‘Today Show’ where he said “share’ isn’t the right way to look at it,” the WNBPA immediately fired back. They reposted a clip of Silver’s comments, which featured him repeating, “I think ‘share’ isn’t the right way to look at it,” on a loop, with the caption, “Don’t want to share?” while tagging Silver. 

The pressure and negotiation tactics are already in motion. But these decisions at times are led by emotion. The possibility of a lockout will depend on whether Cathy Engelbert repairs her relationship with the players enough to make these talks easier. If the WNBPA harbors any personal enmity towards management at crunch time, a lockout could occur, regardless of whether it makes sense or not.