Sophie Cunningham recently flew back home to Missouri for her annual 'Sophie Cunningham Classic' event. As Day 1 flew by, she reconnected with her roots in a Missouri sweatshirt, met fans and parents, and spent time giving back to the community.

But in a rapid-fire question segment, one of her answers about her WNBA journey got the Fever Nation talking. Asked about her favorite W[NBA] moment, she answered, “I think my favorite W moment is actually getting traded to the Indiana Fever."

Drafted by the Phoenix Mercury in 2019 as the 13th pick overall, she played 6 seasons for them before joining the Indiana Fever. The Fever made the trade on February 2, 2025.

She continued, "Like just to be closer to home. Being back in the Midwest culture has been absolutely amazing. The girls were awesome, and so I think overall just having a new start was huge".

Being close to home clearly matters, as her goal for the event also stands clear: give local athletes high-level exposure without forcing them to leave the region.

But free agency left a bittersweet note to her answer

She followed her answer with a moment of honesty and humor, adding, “So I'm just grateful I'm a… well, I guess I was — I don't know if I will be a Fever — but just getting traded was pretty cool.”

Cunningham is a free agent going into the 2026 season. While she has mentioned wanting a bigger contract, she doubled down on wanting to return to the franchise.

"The Indiana Fever was such a blessing. It’s more my speed, more my style of play… at any level, it’s hard to find a group that really loves each other, and especially at the pros, we really did,” she said.

Another storyline that captured fans was her bond with Caitlin Clark and Lexie Hull. When asked who the most famous contact in her phone was, Cunningham laughed, “I mean, the obvious — I’d say Caitlin, yeah.”

Their friendship has grown into one of the most heartwarming narratives for Fever fans, nicknamed “Tres Leches.” Cunningham even paid tribute to the name with a pregame outfit featuring caricatures of the trio and the words 'Tres Leches' on it.

The Indiana Fever fans would love to see her back for the 2026 season, but only time will tell where she plays next year.

Written by

Fatema Kapasi

Edited by

Joyita Das