Cunningham said she has learned to treat praise and criticism with the same distance.
“Já falei isso muitas vezes: se você vive dos elogios, morre pelo ódio”, Cunningham said.
The point is familiar across elite sport. Players are judged through shooting percentages, defensive assignments and lineup impact, yet coaches often value spacing, communication, physicality and experience in ways that do not appear neatly in the statistics.
Her confidence is clear, even if free agency will ultimately bring practical questions about role and fit. The report says Cunningham intends to maintain her identity rather than reshape her approach to satisfy outside opinion.
The discussion arrives as the league moves toward a reported Finals matchup between the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries in San Francisco.
That series should put contrasting pressures under the spotlight. Atlanta will need composure and execution on the biggest stage, while Golden State’s challenge will be handling the intensity of a championship contest without losing its attacking identity. The matchup also reflects the WNBA’s growing ability to turn individual storylines into a larger league conversation.
“Não importa o que digam para mim, vou continuar sendo eu mesma. Sei o que entrego. Nem sempre isso aparece na planilha de estatísticas”, Cunningham said.
Whether that conviction strengthens her position in free agency remains to be seen. The next storyline will be where her skills and self-belief fit best - and whether the Finals can provide an even bigger stage for the league’s next wave of stars.