Sophie Cunningham responds to critics who want her out of Indiana Fever: “If you’re going to live by the praise, you’re going to die by the hate”

The Indiana Fever have several important decisions to make following their playoff elimination, and Sophie Cunningham has found herself at the center of an increasingly public debate about the team's future.

With Cunningham entering free agency, The Athletic columnist Candace Buckner argued that Indiana should move on from the guard, questioning whether her contributions on the court outweigh the attention surrounding her public comments.

Buckner 's criticism included Cunningham 's remarks about transgender athletes, which have generated controversy beyond basketball, alongside questions about her effectiveness as a reserve.

Cunningham addressed the column during an episode of the No Hesitation podcast with Drew Hanlen , making it clear that she had little interest in allowing outside opinions to affect her confidence.

Cunningham responds to criticism of Fever performances

"I literally don't even care what anyone says about me anymore," Cunningham said. "Because I've said this so many times, if you're going to live by the praise, you're going to die by the hate."

The veteran guard suggested that some of her critics lacked the experience to properly evaluate professional basketball players and were more interested in attracting attention than discussing the game.

"And the majority of these people have never picked up a ball in their entire lives," she continued. "And they're just thirsty to, you know, have attention or be relevant in some type of way."

Hanlen was equally dismissive of the column, describing it as an "absolute hate piece" before challenging the basketball arguments used to question Cunningham's value.

He pointed out that Cunningham ranked fourth among WNBA bench scorers and fourth in effective field goal percentage, arguing that those figures provided important context to her average of fewer than eight points per game.

Cunningham insists value goes beyond statistics

Although Cunningham didn't directly address every criticism in Buckner 's column, she rejected the suggestion that her contribution to Indiana should be judged primarily by scoring numbers.

"No matter what anyone says to me, I'm going to continue to do me," Cunningham said. "I know what I bring to the table. It's not always in the stat sheet."

Her response reflected the confidence that has become a recognizable part of her playing style, particularly during a season when her public profile expanded alongside that of the Fever.

"And so for you to like not say I'm effective or any of that, whatever, suck it," she added.

Indiana faces difficult choices

Cunningham 's situation is part of a wider offseason challenge for Indiana following its first-round playoff defeat against the Las Vegas Aces.

The Fever must also address Kelsey Mitchell 's unrestricted free agency while considering how best to build around Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston .

Those decisions will involve balancing salary commitments, roster depth and the team's ambitions of competing for a championship.

Whether Cunningham remains part of those plans is ultimately a decision for Indiana's front office, but she has made her own position unmistakable.

She believes her contributions extend beyond the box score, and criticism will not change how she approaches the game.