Despite a summer of fighting for higher pay, Sophie Cunningham didn’t land the long-term contract she’d hoped for. While her peers were signing multi-million dollar contracts, she signed a one-year, $665,000 deal with the Indiana Fever. That is still a more than 600% increase over her 2025 package, but she admitted she was unsatisfied with it. Regardless, Cunningham has revealed that her bank is set to be flush with cash after reaffirming her commitment to Project B.

Cunningham clarified that her frustration with the contract had nothing to do with the money but the length. “I just wanted to be somewhere for more than one year. I’m almost 30 years old,” Cunningham said. “I want to have a new home. I want to kind of get established, and I would love to get established in a place like Indiana.” She further revealed having passed over multi-year contracts for the Fever because she “wanted to be with that group.” But when it came to Project B, it was absolutely money that was a driving factor in that decision. 

“When they’re offering that type of money, plus the signing bonus, plus having equity in the company, it’s a no-brainer,” Cunningham told Front Office Sports. “I have financially smart people around me, and they’re like, ‘you got to do it. Your body’s got to suck it up.’”

The financial calculus Cunningham is navigating is one that WNBA players have wrestled with for decades. For most of the league’s history, the answer was a plane ticket overseas. Diana Taurasi famously sat out the entire 2015 WNBA season to play in Russia’s Premier League, where she earned roughly 14 times her U.S. salary.

Sue Bird, one of the greatest players in league history, was similarly candid about the tradeoff, telling CBS’s 60 Minutes that she essentially lost money playing in the WNBA and only became a millionaire through her years in Russia’s EuroLeague.

For a generation of stars, going abroad wasn’t a choice; it was a financial necessity. Project B is now positioning itself as a domestic answer to that long-standing problem.

Cunningham will get a share of equity in Project B and earn a salary north of $2 million, as Front Office Sports has reported. That could also be a part of the reason she accepted the Indiana Fever contract without much hesitation. Apart from a stint in the WNBL in 2019-20, Cunningham has not played overseas so far. 

She has never had to. Her off-court contracts are more than making up the difference. Those skyrocketed further after joining the Indiana Fever and teaming up with Caitlin Clark. And yet, even against that backdrop, Project B’s financial offer stood in a league of its own.

“When companies pour into us, they really see our value,” Cunningham said. “That’s not just on the basketball court, that’s just in life as a businesswoman.”

Beyond the money, the league’s structure offered something overseas play never could. The championship run is set to begin in November 2026 and end in March 2027. In the traditional 5-on-5 format, the league is sticking to the basics without any “gimmicks.” So Cunningham won’t have to change her game. And Kelsey Mitchell further explained another advantage compared to playing overseas.

“There’s a big difference, and I think people recognize what that difference is,” Mitchell said. “Project B gives you a chance to do both, go in and come out, whereas [with] overseas basketball you’ve gotta be over there, eight months or seven months, just to get everything you want.”

With the off-court decisions settled, attention turns to what Cunningham can do on the floor. So far, only 13 players are signed with the league, as the league expects the roster to grow to 66. We might see the league ramp up its moves in the coming weeks.

But before the inaugural Project B campaign, Cunningham had a championship run to focus on with the Indiana Fever, and she did not seem to miss a beat on her return from injury.

Sophie Cunningham Returns Strong Despite Injury Scare

Cunningham’s return was highly anticipated after a brutal end to her 2025 season, during which a torn MCL, suffered after colliding with Bria Hartley, kept her off the floor until this preseason game. So, there were eyes on the sharpshooter to see whether her game would be the same. In the opening minutes, she announced her return with a trademark three-pointer.

But almost immediately, those concerns resurfaced. Cunningham was leveled by a hard screen, and Fever fans’ hearts stopped. They were already reeling with injury troubles with Lexie Hull and Aliyah Boston. Not to mention, Caitlin Clark was returning after a 13-game season in which she suffered multiple soft tissue injuries. Fortunately, Cunningham did not incur any serious injury and immediately got back up.

“Sophie Cunningham suffered a torn MCL and looked great in 15 minutes,” Fever reporter Scott Agness said after the game. “She knocked down shots, set hard screens, took contact, and did exactly what she was asked to do.”

Cunningham’s efficient 13 points, along with two rebounds, an assist, two steals, and three triples in just 14 minutes, contributed to the Fever’s dominant 109-91 victory over the Liberty, a game in which Kelsey Mitchell led all scorers with 18. It was an encouraging start to the season for Cunningham and the Indiana Fever.

It’s a good sign that Cunningham did not look rusty at all and handled the physicality well, coming off a major injury.