Sophie Cunningham’s future with the Indiana Fever remains uncertain, but Nancy Lieberman believes her value cannot be measured by the box score alone. As the Fever prepare for another offseason filled with major decisions, the Hall of Famer pointed to a role she believes every successful team needs.

That role goes beyond scoring, rebounding, or even shooting. According to Lieberman, it is about having a player willing to protect a franchise star when games become physical. Speaking on Saturday’s episode of the All The Smoke podcast, Lieberman compared Cunningham’s importance to Caitlin Clark with the role Jack Haley once played for Dennis Rodman.

“Jack Haley stayed in the league for how many years?” Lieberman said. “Because he was Dennis Rodman’s running man and protector. Wayne Gretzky had enforcers… You have to have somebody. You have to have that. I mean, it’s a physical game.”

Lieberman’s comparison positioned Cunningham in the same type of protector role Haley played for Rodman. In her view, every star benefits from having a teammate willing to absorb the physical and emotional battles that come with being the focal point of a franchise.

Cunningham has built a reputation as Caitlin Clark’s on-court protector since arriving in Indiana.

One of the clearest examples came during a game against the Connecticut Sun. After Jacy Sheldon poked Clark in the eye in the third quarter, Cunningham retaliated by pulling Sheldon to the floor with 46.1 seconds remaining in the game, drawing a Flagrant 2 foul and an ejection.

The play sparked debate across the league, but it also reinforced the image many Fever fans already had of Cunningham as Clark’s primary defender away from the basketball.

Cunningham has downplayed the “bodyguard” label, but she has repeatedly expressed pride in protecting her teammates. She has also suggested that inconsistent officiating sometimes forces players to police situations themselves when physical play goes unchecked.

Lieberman was not alone in viewing that role as essential.

Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson agreed that most successful teams need an enforcer-type presence. Barnes even pointed to Victor Wembanyama as an example of a young superstar who could benefit from having such a teammate, given the physical treatment he often receives from opposing players.

That brings the conversation back to the Fever’s offseason.

With Cunningham’s contract now expired, Indiana must determine whether her contributions justify a new deal. She averaged 7.9 points and 2.3 rebounds per game this season while providing floor spacing, veteran leadership, and defensive toughness off the bench.

The decision may ultimately come down to how much value the organization places on the less tangible aspects of her game.

The timing is particularly interesting because the Fever are operating under new leadership.

Following Indiana’s first-round playoff exit, President Kelly Krauskopf stepped down, and general manager Amber Cox was dismissed within hours of one another. The franchise has since hired Excel Search and Advisory, whose parent company also represents Caitlin Clark, to help identify its next general manager.

That incoming executive will be tasked with shaping Indiana’s roster under a tighter salary-cap environment and a new collective bargaining agreement.

As a result, the decision on Cunningham may become one of the first significant roster calls of the Fever’s new era. The next general manager must determine whether her shooting, veteran presence, and reputation as Clark’s protector fit into the organization’s long-term vision.