WNBA free agent Sophie Cunningham expressed hope that she would cross paths with Amber Cox again someday after the Indiana Fever fired their general manager.

Last Friday, the Fever ruthlessly cut ties with Cox following their unceremonious playoff exit, while team president Kelly Krauskopf also stepped down from her role. Just three weeks earlier, Indiana suffered a 94-83 loss to the Las Vegas Aces in Game 3 of its first-round series.

News of the Fever’s front office overhaul was understandably a tough pill to swallow for Cunningham, who was acquired by the Fever via a four-team trade last February before re-signing in April under Cox and Krauskopf’s leadership.

“I have nothing but really great things to say about Kelly and Amber. They care about us as players. They care about us as humans,” Cunningham said over the weekend.

“And I wish them nothing but the very, very best. You know, hopefully I'll run into them in my career at some point. But seriously, they're great humans. And sometimes it's just business. But I couldn't love them more. And I'm just appreciative for the time that I had with them.”

It wasn’t long ago that Cox rushed to the defense of Cunningham, insisting that the veteran guard’s off-court comments would have no bearing on whether Indiana re-signs her in free agency.

In an ESPN interview published in July, Cunningham contended that young girls "shouldn't have to go against biological men.” Her remarks triggered immediate and fierce reactions across the political spectrum, resulting in numerous nationwide protests and an official White House statement.

During the Fever exit interviews earlier this month, Cox was questioned whether the "outside stuff" surrounding Cunningham would factor into how Indiana assesses her in free agency. The 54-year-old quickly dismissed the notion, bluntly responding: "No."

Shortly after, Cox highlighted the substantial contribution Cunningham made throughout her two-season stint with the Fever. This year, the unrestricted free agent ranked seventh in the WNBA in 3-point shooting (41.9%) and third in points per scoring attempt (1.31).

"Sophie's had two really productive years for us in terms of shooting the basketball," Cox noted.

"She is a really solid leader in the locker room, a great connector. She brings levity, but also brings a lot of experience. And she's serious and is an important voice in our locker room when we need it — when we really need to lock in.”

It remains to be seen if Cox and Krauskopf’s oustings will play any role in Cunningham’s uncertain future with the Fever. For now, the 30-year-old is focused primarily on expanding her business portfolio while preparing for life beyond basketball.

“But I'm just embracing where my two feet are at,” she added. “I live a pretty blessed lifestyle. I'm going to live it up, and I'm just happy to be where I'm at.”