So, today lads, we’re going to be talking a little bit about Sophie Cunningham. And this for me does not sound good from the Indiana Fever GM. I’m going to be real. This doesn’t sound great. I’m not saying that this is a short foregone conclusion that she’s gone, but by the sounds of things Sophie Cunningham wanted to sign a long-term deal with the Indiana Fever at a cut price and the Fever said, “No.”
They said, “No.” And the one thing I don’t like is that to replace Sophie Cunningham, if you want to look at what players similar to Sophie Cunningham are making in the WNBA, I’m pretty sure Kennedy Burke, I read here today that Kennedy Burke is making a million dollars this year. Yes, Kennedy Burke, who we can all agree is probably not at the equivalent level of Sophie Cunningham, slightly worse, is making a one-year $1 million deal.
Yes, she’s making a million. Bridget Carleton’s making $1.2 million. I just want to see if I can get the list of all WNBA player contracts. Again, there are some players that are signing crazy deals. But you’re looking at two similar players in Kennedy Burke and Bridget Carleton averaging $1.1 million.
Yes, $1.1 million is what they’re making on average. If you’re looking for similar enough players, Gabby Williams is making $1.25 million. She is better than Sophie Cunningham. Don’t get that twisted. But she’s making $1.25 million. Marina Mabrey, I think, is not that much worse making $1.2 million at that wing position.
This is a similar price. Kennedy Burke, $1 million. Not as good as Sophie. A lot of people wanted them signing Kennedy Burke because people talked the Fever could have got Kennedy Burke at like 500k or less. That’s why people wanted the Fever to sign Kennedy Burke.
Let’s look. Sophie’s here at like 650k-ish. Who is making less money than Sophie Cunningham that was not on a restricted or UFA deal that is better than Sophie? Nobody. Literally nobody. There are some reserve free agents. Absolutely. There are players on their rookie deals. Absolutely. There are zero healthy UFAs making less money than Sophie Cunningham.
She is literally one of the bargain contracts based on her free agency status and her production. She is one of the biggest bargains. Ironically, Lexie Hull’s contract is not even that crazy in hindsight considering the fact that it cost $1 million for Kennedy Burke.
And this is what Amber Cox is out here saying about Sophie Cunningham:
“Anybody’s individual negotiations, but what I’ll say is, I think again it’s a credit to this group wanting to be together. That really helped us bring the core back quickly and then add those complementary pieces. From a front office standpoint, we’re obviously planning for this season, but we have to look long-term, too. And there are some decisions that we have to make right now because they’re impacting what we need to do against a hard cap in the future. We’ve got some new wrinkles in the CBA that we have to account for. Obviously, A’ja Wilson moving into her epic deal. So, we just want to be really smart in how we’re thinking about the future and also obviously making us the best that we can be this season.”
But this would make sense if you drafted Ji-Hyun Neipkins. This would make sense being like, “Oh, we need to make decisions for now. We need to look long-term.”
Sophie Cunningham’s 29 years old and signed for 300k below her market value on a one-year deal because she wants to stay with your team. She signed for way below market value on a short-term deal purely because she wants to stay on her team.
And it’s not like you drafted some replacement. Unless you’re going to give someone an episodic contract, there’s no replacement and it will cost double what Sophie Cunningham’s making this year, by the way.
If you guys don’t know, with the way the cap goes up, that 665k, if she signed that for 3 years, by the end of the cap that would be the equivalent of like 400k in today’s money. Which is the biggest bargain contract. The biggest bargain contract.
But a player willing to take a pay cut — a player already taking a huge pay cut, by the way — you’re not going to get Sophie for cheaper than that next year. You’re actually just not.
In fact, you’re not going to be getting Sophie for cheaper because again she is costing just over half of Kennedy Burke. Like what are we doing? What are we doing?
She costs just over half of Kennedy Burke. And I like Kennedy Burke. 8.1 points per game. Good shooting from three. Good shooting from the field. A possible defender. Can play a little bit versatile. Is 29 years old.
Sophie Cunningham is also 29 years old. Like 3 months older than Kennedy Burke. 8.6 points per game. 3.5 boards, 1.2 assists. So, stats-wise slightly better. Minutes per game, 25 versus 21.
The difference is Sophie Cunningham in her game log — let’s take a look — she averaged something like 13 points per game over her last near 20 games. It’s literally like she just went on a bad spell. She started off the season real bad. She was injured. It took her a while to come back and she was shooting terribly to start the year.
And then as soon as she started hitting shots in the Commissioner’s Cup final where she went four of five from three, if you’re looking here:
Four of five, two of three, two of three, two of eight, five of eight, three of four, one of six, one of three, oh of one, four of five, two of four, five of eight, three of six, two of four, two of four.
Then she got hurt in this game.
That is an insane hot streak. And this is somebody who, again, for their career has been a good shooter. Somebody who shot 43% from the field and 87.5% from the free throw line. A significantly better offensive player than Kennedy Burke.
But to get Sophie Cunningham’s contract, I can guarantee you if Kennedy Burke is making $1 million, Sophie Cunningham was offered $1 million. I would be incredibly shocked if that’s not the case. There is no way Sophie Cunningham did not get offered $1 million by somebody.
And then Amber Cox is there like, “We got to prepare for the future because of A’ja Wilson’s epic vision.”
And I mean this — Sophie Cunningham probably would have just said, “If you want Sophie Cunningham, she’s getting 665k for this year,” and she said she wanted a long-term deal to stay in Indy.
Be like, “Okay. We’ll give you 1.8 over 3. Are you okay with 1.8 over 3?”
And I’m going to be real here. She probably would have said, “Okay.”
1.8 over 3 and you’re getting a player that is cheaper than bringing in Erica Wheeler. A player that is cheaper than two years of Kennedy Burke.
Again, 1.8 over 3 is cheaper than Kayla Charles. Kayla Charles was cut by the Wings last year. It’s cheaper than Erica Wheeler. It’s way cheaper than Michaela Onyenwere on a per-year basis.
It’s Elizabeth Williams money. It’s Meg Gustafson money.
I would be shocked if they offered her 1.8 over 3. Maybe she wanted more, but she’s taking 665k for a year and she said she wanted long-term.
The fact is that it seems like they just want to get off her contract for the logic of probably having to pay three times more than she costs for a replacement.
I don’t get it. I don’t get it.
So, anyway, yeah, that’s the video. I’ll see you guys.
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