Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham celebrated two milestones in April: a new contract and a public declaration of faith. Two days after signing a one-year, $665,000 deal to return to the Fever, Cunningham posted a TikTok video of herself getting baptized.
“I got baptized when I was little, but I was feeling a tug on my heart to do it on my terms as an adult! Such a fun, amazing day. Thank you, Jesus,” Cunningham said in the April 14 post.
The 29-year-old discussed her decision with the media on Tuesday at training camp.
“I’ve always been a faithful person, but I just feel like now it’s my own decision. One of the better things I’ve done in my life is getting baptized,” Cunningham said.
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Cunningham added her Christian faith “leads (me)” and keeps her grounded amid “all the noise going on” throughout the WNBA season. Cunningham received backlash on social media after expressing frustration about only getting a one-year deal on her podcast, "Show Me Something.” Cunningham clarified her sentiments Tuesday.
“I think Twitter kind of blew up last night about a comment I made on my podcast. But that wasn’t what I meant at all,” Cunningham said. “I think if you listen to the full clip, you really understand that I just wanted to be somewhere for more than one year. I'm almost 30 years old. I want to have a home. I want to get established. And I would love to get established in a place like Indiana.”
Cunningham emphasized during media day Wednesday she plans to remain her authentic self, even when she is at the center of attention. Phoenix Mercury legend Diana Taurasi spoke with her former teammate during the offseason and praised Cunningham, who spent her first six seasons with Phoenix, for not caring about what other people think.
”I don’t care because this is what I do and I love it, but it‘s not who I am deep down, so my faith really keeps me grounded and it allows me to shine and just be myself,” Cunningham said.
Cunningham was averaging 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game before suffering a torn MCL during the Fever’s game against the Connecticut Sun on Aug. 17, 2025. Cunningham started in 13 of the 30 games she played during the season.
Joshua Heron is an enterprise sports reporter for IndyStar. Follow him @HeronReports. Get IndyStar's Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter. Subscribe to IndyStar TV: Fever for in-depth analysis, behind-the-scenes coverage and more.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana Fever Sophie Cunningham baptism reaction, contract frustration TikTok
