Sophie Cunningham savvy with finances: How is the Indiana Fever star investing massive new $665,000 contract?

Sophie Cunningham is taking a notably different approach to the increased earnings available to WNBA players in 2026.

Rather than treating her new salary as an opportunity for extravagant spending, the Indiana Fever guard is using the money to build a business outside basketball.

Cunningham signed a one-year contract worth $665,000 to remain with the Fever after entering free agency during the offseason.

The deal represents a major financial leap for the 30-year-old, whose combined WNBA contract earnings across her first seven seasons were reportedly $569,022, according to Spotrac.

That comparison puts the significance of the new agreement into perspective. Cunningham is set to earn more in one season than she did across her first seven years in the league.

The dramatic increase is part of a broader shift in WNBA compensation following the league's new collective bargaining agreement.

The agreement has created a much different financial environment for players, particularly established veterans who have spent years earning comparatively modest salaries.

For Cunningham , however, the extra income is not simply about enjoying a larger bank balance.

According to ESPN, she has been putting her money into real estate, purchasing vacation properties in Arizona and making them available as short-term rentals.

Rather than personally managing the properties, Cunningham has brought in a company to handle their operation while she provides the capital.

That arrangement allows her to remain focused on basketball while simultaneously developing an investment portfolio.

Cunningham plans to expand real-estate business

The Fever guard has made it clear that Arizona is only the beginning. Cunningham is considering additional purchases in other popular destinations, including Nashville and Florida.

“I’m about to probably buy one in Nashville and Florida, and so I’m just starting to make a business outside of the court,” Cunningham revealed. “It’s good, it’s fun. I’m trying to buy places that I want to go visit, so when I’m there, I don’t have to pay for it.”

The strategy gives Cunningham several potential benefits. The properties can provide accommodation when she travels for personal reasons, while also offering the possibility of rental income when she isn't using them.

It's also a way for Cunningham to think beyond her playing career.

Professional athletes face an obvious challenge as their earning years in sport are relatively limited. Building assets that can potentially continue generating value after retirement can therefore be an important part of long-term financial planning.

Cunningham has also encouraged other WNBA players to think carefully about what they do with the new money flowing into the league.

Players who spent years operating on much smaller salaries now have considerably more financial freedom, but Cunningham believes that opportunity comes with responsibility.

She explained that athletes need to be “smart with that money,” particularly because many have waited a long time to receive compensation at this level. They “can’t just go out and blow it all or not invest.”

That mindset is particularly notable given Cunningham 's own career path. She was selected by the Phoenix Mercury in the 2019 WNBA Draft after playing college basketball at Missouri and has subsequently established herself as a veteran presence in the league.

Her latest contract also reflects how dramatically the economics of the WNBA are changing. Cunningham 's decision to turn a larger salary into property investments demonstrates one possible way players can use the new financial landscape to create security beyond the court.

“I think it allows all of us to kind of grow and be businesswomen,” the Fever star stated.

For Cunningham , that growth has already begun. With potential properties in Nashville and Florida still on her radar, the $665,000 contract could end up being more than another lucrative season in professional basketball.

It could become another step toward building a business that lasts long after her playing career ends.