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Indiana Fever Facing Sophie Cunningham, Lexie Hull Decisions After Playoff Loss
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- Indiana Fever Facing Sophie Cunningham, Lexie Hull Decisions After Playoff Loss
The Indiana Fever were able to make the WNBA playoffs this season with the help of several smart roster moves to help offset season-ending injuries to star players Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham .
Indiana was eliminated from the postseason after a 107-98 overtime loss to the Las Vegas Aces in Game 5 of the WNBA semifinals on Tuesday. Looking ahead, more big personnel decisions are looming as the majority of the WNBA heads into free agency this offseason.
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The Fever only have three players under contract for 2026 as they try to build the most effective roster for the future around former No. 1 draft picks Clark and Aliyah Boston .
The decisions on whether or not to resign free agents Cunningham and Lexie Hull are a couple of the headaches facing the front office heading into Clark's third WNBA season.
Sophie Cunningham and Caitlin Clark (22) during a preseason game between the Indiana Fever and the Washington Mystics at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.© Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Re-Signing Lexie Hull Should Be a Priority
The good news for Fever general manager Amber Cox and president Kelly Krauskopf is that Hull is a restricted free agent. They will have a chance to match any contract offered to Hull by another team in free agency.
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The 6-foot-1 guard made an impact on both ends while seeing the floor in all 44 regular season games. Hull, 26, averaged career highs in minutes (27.0), points (7.2), rebounds (4.3), assists (1.8) and steals (1.2).
She also landed a job in the 3-on-3 Unrivaled league for the offseason.
"The ultimate compliment to any player is that they never give you a reason to take them off the floor," Fever head coach Stephanie White said of Hull in June . "That's Lexie. She's always working her tail off on the defensive end, doing all the little things it takes to position us for success."
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The Fever may prioritize re-signing other players since they have first right of refusal on any outside offer to Hull. Considering her three-and-D presence and multiyear experience playing with Clark and Boston, she will be near the top of the list of players the Fever want to keep around.
Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull (10) dribbles the ball past Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride (21).Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
The Difficult Sophie Cunningham Free Agency Decision
The decision on Cunningham, who is an unrestricted free agent, is more complicated. Her useful impact on the court this season (8.6 points per game, 43.2 percent from three) was often understated compared to her significant presence online and in the locker room.
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The veteran wing gained a legion of followers after standing up for Clark in a game, turning her into one of the most marketable players in the WNBA overnight.
She could be valuable to the Fever in a number of ways, but her health is a big question mark. A torn MCL in her right knee ended her season in August.
While Cunningham expects to be recovered by the start of next season , the Fever will have to weigh whether or not it is a wise call to re-sign the 29-year-old. She will demand a sizeable contract on the free agent market given her WNBA experience and off-court popularity.
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Shaping the Future of the Fever
No matter what Indiana decides to do with Hull and Cunningham, this offseason will be transformational for the franchise.
Starters Kelsey Mitchell and Natasha Howard are also unrestricted free agents, while the upcoming expansion draft will put members of the roster at risk of being selected by two new WNBA franchises: the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire.
That's not to mention the elephant in the room — a potential lockout if a new CBA is not agreed to soon.
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On the flip side, the number of available stars has never been seen before. The Fever could theoretically pair unrestricted free agents such as Napheesa Collier , A'ja Wilson or Sabrina Ionescu with Clark, depending on how they fill out their roster.
All these factors will impact the decisions to be made on Cunningham and Hull — creating plenty of intrigue as the Fever offseason begins.
Related: Sophie Cunningham's Interaction with Indiana Fever Coach Draws Attention Amid WNBA Playoffs
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Related: Indiana Fever's Lexie Hull Lands Job Outside WNBA
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Oct 1, 2025, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
