Sophie Cunningham is making a comeback to the Indiana Fever roster on a one-year deal. She returns with Kelsey Mitchell and Lexie Hull, along with Caitlin Clark, all set to earn a massive salary bump this year. The WNBA world seems happy, with the entire core intact as the Fever heads into 2026.
How the WNBA World Is Reacting to the Indiana Fever’s ‘Tres Leches’ Reunion
Yes, the tres leches era is far from over. The WNBA world reacted with the same energy people expect Clark, Cunningham, and Hull to have right now.
Keeping it simple is Pacers writer and podcaster Alex Golden: “Tres Leches is back for another year. Sophie Cunningham and the Indiana Fever have agreed to a one-year deal. The Fever are making sure that their core stays intact.”
With Mitchell and Hull already back, Cunningham’s return completes this trio, who carried Indiana to the semis last year.
Tres Leches is back for another year.
Sophie Cunningham and the Indiana Fever have agreed to a one-year deal.
The Fever are making sure that their core stays intact. pic.twitter.com/BtVmphYjAs
— Alex Golden (@AlexGoldenNBA) April 12, 2026
Social media executive Corey Clayton matched the internet’s energy, writing: “Tres Leches in full effect for 2026! #NowYouKnow #WNBA”
The nickname, coined by Fever fans for the trio, has taken on a life of its own so far.
Tres Leches in full effect for 2026! #NowYouKnow #WNBA https://t.co/dxEioaDxiT
— Corey Clayton (@CoreyClayton) April 12, 2026
Sports analyst KingZephyr zeroed in on what this means defensively: “The Indiana Fever just formed a defensive nightmare for the rest of the league. Nobody is talking about how this core is specifically designed to let Caitlin Clark play entirely without a conscience.
“Bringing back Sophie Cunningham alongside Lexie Hull ensures this roster has enough grit to cover every defensive lapse. Running it back with Kelsey Mitchell on that supermax proves Indiana is done with the rebuilding phase. The chemistry with Aliyah Boston is about to hit a new level. Good luck to any guard trying to survive this perimeter pressure.”
The Indiana Fever just formed a defensive nightmare for the rest of the league. Nobody is talking about how this core is specifically designed to let Caitlin Clark play entirely without a conscience. Bringing back Sophie Cunningham alongside Lexie Hull ensures this roster has… https://t.co/nnnHpyuPP8
— KingZephyr (@KingZahyd) April 12, 2026
True, Cunningham is the enforcer here. Hull is the stopper, making sure Clark is free to operate as a pure offensive weapon.
What the Reunion Means for Indiana’s 2026 Title Chances
Cunningham, Hull, and Clark are a detonating force in the WNBA.
Bleav Network’s Andrew Jerell Jones went a step ahead: “Sophie Cunningham was massively for staying with the Fever and continuing the “Tres Leches” era with Caitlin Clark and Lexie Hull. And that has indeed been the case #WNBA”
Sophie Cunningham was massively for staying with the Fever and continuing the “Tres Leches” era with Caitlin Clark and Lexie Hull.
And that has indeed been the case #WNBA https://t.co/ABM9K7f7Qz
— Andrew Jerell Jones, Luke 1:37 (BlueSky too now) (@sluggahjells) April 12, 2026
Cunningham averaged 8.6 points and 3.5 rebounds, shooting 43.2% from the arc in 30 games right before her MCL injury last season. She is an incredible floor spacer, protects Clark whenever there’s any form of physicality on the court, and has great chemistry with almost everyone on the roster.
Fever GM Amber Cox didn’t oversell when she said this about Cunningham: “When you have a shooter like Sophie, somebody who’s consistently at the top of the league every single year in terms of her effectiveness from beyond the arc, that really helps everybody else too.”
If anyone recalls the Jacy Sheldon moment, that was the perfect representation of what you’ve just read. It definitely said everything about Cunningham’s place on the roster.
Sheldon poked Clark in the eye, and Cunningham responded by grabbing Sheldon by the head in the paint. She flung her out of bounds.
Adding to the protective energy Cunningham brings, we have Lexie Hull, who provides a different value. The 26-year-old averaged a career-best 7.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists last season.
She started all eight playoff games for the Fever. She’s the team’s most versatile defender, someone who gets the job done while making it easy for others around her to achieve more.
Indiana went 24-20 last season, reaching the semifinals. While Clark played 13 games, it was the rest of the roster that did everything in their power to reach the semis.
With a full season from Clark expected, one can only assume the ceiling this year will be genuinely different.
