Sophie Cunningham stepped off the court at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, still adjusting to life without her knee brace after months of painful knee injury rehab.
The Indiana Fever guard, who spent her first WNBA season in the same building as the Pacers, had just wrapped a session talking hoops venues with a reporter.
Now a free agent after averaging 8.6 points off the bench in 2025, Cunningham opened up about her top spots during a Sun Cruiser partnership announcement. Barclays Center topped her list outside her home turf, Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Sophie Cunningham Ranks Barclays Center After Gainbridge Fieldhouse
With the WNBA’s CBA talks dragging into November, players have a long gap before things really start rolling for the next season.
However, Cunningham didn’t hesitate when asked about her favorite NBA arenas, putting Gainbridge Fieldhouse at the top.
“They have a great crowd. That’s one of my favorite places to play outside of Indiana. It’s like one of my favorites, so it’s good,” she said of the New York Liberty’s home court at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
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The downtown Indianapolis spot, shared by the Fever and Pacers, draws her praise for its intimacy and the way it amplifies every play.
The Liberty’s fanbase, known for its intensity during playoff runs, made those visits stand out amid her 30-game stint before an August MCL tear sidelined her.
That injury, from a collision with Connecticut’s Bria Hartley, cut short a year where she posted 3.5 rebounds and steady defense, but it gave her time to soak in venues like Barclays during road trips.
Sophie Cunningham Not Sure About 2026 WNBA Season
Cunningham’s arena love comes against a tense backdrop, with CBA negotiations casting a shadow over next year’s tip-off.
In a Front Office Sports interview, Cunningham laid out the frustration about the frustratingly slow talks, daily exec check-ins, but little real progress two weeks after a 30-day extension bought time to dodge a lockout.
“I know our execs are talking with their people every single day. I don’t think there’s been much movement.... So that’s the biggest thing for us. But, normally we don’t have meetings unless something big is happening or if they need to update us on what they’re talking about,” she told FOS.
The standoff, centered on revenue shares and player protections, has her outlook grim as “there is a lot of uncertainty.” At 29 and rehabbing that knee tear, Cunningham eyes free agency in February, but a prolonged dispute could delay drafts, signings, and even the season start.